Travel chaos in world erupts as Italy quarantines north to halt virus

A tourist taking a picture of a seagull in the Colosseum, in Rome, on Sunday (March 8). With the coronavirus emergency deepening in Europe, Italy, a focal point in the contagion, risks falling back into recession as foreign tourists are spooked from visiting its cultural treasures and the global market shrinks for prized artisanal products, from fashion to design. - AP

ROME: Italy announced a sweeping quarantine on Sunday (March 8) for its northern regions, igniting travel chaos as it restricted the movements of a quarter of its people in a bid to halt the Covid-19's (coronavirus) relentless march across Europe.

Shortly after midnight, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree affecting 16 million people in the country's prosperous north, including the Lombardy region and at least 14 provinces in neighboring regions. The extraordinary measures will be in place until April 3.