Two dead, 79 infected in Italy as government fights to contains coronavirus outbreak

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) - Cases of the new coronavirus in Italy, the most affected country in Europe, rose on Saturday to nearly 80, killing two people and prompting the government to close off the worst hit areas in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto.

Authorities in the two regions, where the outbreak is concentrated, have cancelled sports events, including three top league soccer games, and closed schools and universities. Companies from Ray-Ban owner Luxottica to the country's top bank UniCredit have told workers living in the affected areas to stay home.