The region’s schools, museums, theaters, and swimming pools will be shut down. Italy has reported 5,883 cases of COVID-19 and 233 deaths so far.

Italy, the epicenter of Europe’s coronavirus crisis, is preparing to take the unprecedented step of locking down an entire region that is home to more than 10 million people in a bid to control the spread of the epidemic.
A draft decree seen by The Wall Street Journal says that the Italian government is imposing sweeping restrictions in the northern region of Lombardy, where Milan is the capital, and 11 neighboring provinces, including Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, and Veneto.
People in these areas should “absolutely avoid any movement into and out of the areas,” the decree says, according to The Journal. Bloomberg reported that movement within the affected area will only be permitted when it comes to “non-deferrable” business or health issues.
The move comes amid the announcement of 5,883 cases and 233 deaths in Italy. Nicola Zingaretti, the leader of the country’s Democratic party, testing positive for COVID-19.
The quarantine is slated to be approved late Saturday, Italian officials said, according to the Evening Standard. Once the policy is greenlit, the decision will take effect on Sunday and last through April 3.
During this lockdown, schools, museums, theaters, and swimming pools will be shut, the Standard said, adding that healthcare workers’ leave will also be revoked.
Bar and restaurants must ensure that patrons stay at least one meter apart or they too will be forced to close, Bloomberg reported.
The Journal reported that police officers and even the army will be on-hand to ensure that people are following the quarantine. Violating the decree is a crime that can result in fines or prison sentences.
Bloomberg also said that it had been given access to a second draft decree regarding containment rules for the rest of Italy, which restricted public gatherings and told people not to leave their hometowns unless it is necessary. That decree too is slated for approval on Saturday evening.
With the largest number of coronavirus cases outside Asia, Italy has already taken steps including closing schools and universities from March 5 through March 15, canceling large public events, and shutting down its world-famous tourist haunts. Nearly a dozen towns in the country’s north have also been sealed off, but the area is home to only about 50,000 people, making Saturday’s decision a dramatic escalation, the Journal noted.
The coronavirus outbreak is thrashing Italy’s already-teetering economy, according to the Associated Press. The tourism and luxury industries have been severely hit, and the imminent quarantine will only make matters worse because Lombardy is the most populated part of the nation, the Journal said, as well as home to its industrial hub.