First Italian dies of coronavirus as outbreak flares in north

A police car is seen in the village of Codogno after officials told residents to stay home and suspend public activities as 14 cases of coronavirus are confirmed in northern Italy, in this still image taken from video in the province of Lodi, Italy, February 21, 2020. Local Team/REUTERS TV via REUTERS

MILAN (Reuters) - An elderly man in the northern city of Padua has died after being infected with the coronavirus, becoming the first Italian victim of the disease, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Friday.

Health authorities announced earlier in the day 15 cases of the virus in the wealthy northern region of Lombardy and two in neighbouring Veneto where Padua is located -- the first known cases of local transmission in the country.