In view of the worldwide spread of the novel corona virus from China, Italy has declared a national emergency today, as the government announced in Rome.
The measure essentially allows the rapid provision of funds and faster protective measures against the spread of the virus. The Italian authorities had previously confirmed the first cases of infection in the country, which are two tourists from China. Most recently, Italy had stopped all flights to and from China. The state of emergency is generally declared more frequently in Italy, for example after an earthquake or severe weather.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the international health emergency due to the virus. Hundreds of cases of infection have been reported in more than 20 countries. The Chinese authorities reported 213 dead and nearly 10,000 patients by Friday.
