Italy has introduced "extraordinary measures" to tackle the spread of the biggest outbreak of the new coronavirus in Europe.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the emergency plan late on Saturday as the number of cases rose to 79.

The measures were imposed after two Italian citizens were confirmed to have died from the virus.

A dozen towns in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto have been effectively quarantined under the plan.

Around 50,000 people from towns in two northern regions have been asked to stay at home by authorities.

Mr Conte said it would now be forbidden to enter or leave the outbreak areas, unless special permission was granted.

All school and sports activities have been suspended in those areas, including several Serie A football matches due to take place on Sunday.

Police, and if necessary the armed forces, will have the authority to ensure the regulations are enforced.

Italian authorities fear the virus has gone beyond the isolated clusters of cases in Lombardy and Veneto, making it difficult to contain.

"The contagiousness of this virus is very strong and pretty virulent," Lombardy's health chief Giulio Gallera said.

The new coronavirus originated in the Chinese province of Hubei last year, but has spread to 26 countries, where more than 1,400 cases and 11 deaths have been confirmed.

Chinese health authorities reported a decrease in the rate of deaths and new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday. Some 76 392 cases including 2,348 deaths have been confirmed in China.

But outside China, cases with no clear link to that country or other confirmed cases continue to rise, prompting concern from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The head of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the greatest concern now was countries with weaker health systems, particularly in Africa.

South Korea has reported the largest number of confirmed infections after China and the outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship off the coast of Japan, which has seen more than 600 cases.

In other developments:

• Thirty-two British and other European cruise ship passengers are in quarantine in north-west England after arriving back from Japan
  
• In South Korea, a fourth person has died and the number of confirmed cases has jumped to more than 550, an increase of more than 100 on the previous day. Most cases are linked to a hospital and a religious group near the south-eastern city of Daegu
  
• Israel refused to allow some 200 non-Israelis to disembark from a plane which had arrived from South Korea, sending them back to Seoul; the 12 Israelis on board were quarantined
  
• Iran reported its fifth death from the disease, and ordered the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres in 14 provinces

The new virus, which originated last year in Hubei province in China, causes a respiratory disease called Covid-19.

Fever, fatigue and a dry cough are the most common symptoms for patients.

The proportion of people dying from the disease appears to be low, with most only developing mild symptoms and making a full recovery.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51602007

North Korea has quarantined 380 foreigners in a bid to stop the coronavirus from breaking out.

The foreigners are mostly diplomats stationed in the capital Pyongyang, said news agency Yonhap, quoting the Korean Central Broadcasting Station.

Around 200 foreigners had already been confined to their compounds for the past 30 days - but as that came to an end, the quarantine has been extended.

There have not been any reported cases of Covid-19 in North Korea.

It's not known how long the new quarantine will last.

In South Korea, seven people have died with 763 people infected. Around 7,700 troops have been quarantined after 11 military members were infected.

The virus, which emerged in China, has spread to 29 countries.

Italy has the highest number of coronavirus cases in Europe, with 152. Around 50,000 people in two northern "hotspot" regions - Veneto and Lombardy - have been put under quarantine for two weeks.

Iran has also confirmed 43 cases of the virus and eight deaths.

More than 2,500 people have died from the virus in mainland China, with some 77,150 cases confirmed cases reported.

What is the situation in North Korea?

North Korea has not confirmed any cases - but there are clearly fears of it spreading, as the country shares a border with China.

All foreigners coming into the country must be quarantined for 30 days.

There are relatively few foreigners in North Korea, and only around 200 westerners, according to one expert.

North Korean authorities have also cancelled the annual Pyongyang marathon, which typically sees people from all over the world participating.

Around 3,000 people in North Pyongan province - a north-western region bordering China - are also now under monitoring for reportedly showing suspected symptoms, said state media.

What about South Korea?

South Korea has the largest number of confirmed cases outside China, after a sharp spike in recent days.

Eight new cases of the virus have been reported in the army, and one in the navy, air force and marine corps - bringing the number to 11.

But the biggest virus clusters have been linked to a hospital and a religious group near the south-eastern city of Daegu.

What's happening in Italy?

Italian officials have introduced sweeping measures to control what is now the worst outbreak of the coronavirus in Europe - at least three people have died and more than 150 cases confirmed.

In the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, a lock-down is in place in several small towns. For the next two weeks, 50,000 residents will not be able to leave without special permission.

Even outside the zone, many businesses and schools have suspended activities, and sporting events have been cancelled - including several top-flight football matches.

Officials have yet to find the first carrier of the virus in the country.

World edges closer to coronavirus pandemic

Analysis by Fergus Walsh, medical correspondent

The combined situation in South Korea, Iran and Italy points to the early stages of pandemic. This means a global outbreak, with the coronavirus spreading in the community in multiple parts of the world.

In each of these countries we are seeing spread of the virus with no connection to China. The lockdown efforts in Italy mirror those that have happened in China.

The situation in Iran is especially worrying, because the health authorities have reportedly said the virus has spread to multiple cities, and it appears the first case in Lebanon is linked to a traveller from Iran.

If we have a pandemic, it will still be important to limit the speed of spread of the virus.

If countries could hold it somewhat at bay until the end of winter, there is a hope that warmer temperatures will reduce the time the virus can survive in the air, as we see with seasonal flu. But this may not be certain.

What's the latest from Iran?

Iran said on Sunday it had 43 confirmed cases of the virus, most of them in the holy city of Qom. Eight of those infected have died, the highest number of deaths outside China.

Iraq, Pakistan, Armenia and Turkey have closed their borders with Iran, and Afghanistan has suspended air and road travel to and from Iran.

What about China, where the outbreak started?

China's President Xi Jinping has described the outbreak as the "largest public health emergency" in the country's recent history.

Speaking on Sunday, he acknowledged "shortcomings" in China's response and said lessons must be learned.

China reported 409 new infections on Monday, the bulk of which were from Wuhan, the city where the virus emerged late last year.

But outside China, cases with no clear link to that country or other confirmed cases continue to rise, prompting concern from the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Fears are growing that the coronavirus outbreak could reach pandemic scale as more cases emerge around the world.

Most infections are in China but other nations like South Korea, Italy and Iran are battling the virus, which causes respiratory disease Covid-19.

A pandemic is when an infectious disease spreads easily from person to person in many parts of the world.

About 77,000 people in China, where the virus emerged last year, have been infected and nearly 2,600 have died.

More than 1,200 cases have been confirmed in about 30 other countries and there have been more than 20 deaths. Italy reported two more deaths on Monday, raising the total there to five.

The proportion of infected patients dying from Covid-19 appears to be between 1% and 2%, although the World Health Organization (WHO) cautions that the mortality rate is not known yet.

On Monday Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Bahrain reported their first cases, all involving people who had come from Iran.

Among other developments:

• China said it would postpone its annual meeting of parliament next month in order to "continue the efforts" against the coronavirus
  
• Gold surged to its highest price in seven years as coronavirus fears led investors to seek a safe haven
  
• Worldwide stock markets saw sharp falls due to concerns about the economic impact of the virus

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Friday that the window of opportunity to contain the virus was "narrowing".

Paul Hunter, professor of health protection at the University of East Anglia in the UK, echoed his fears, saying the spike in cases outside China was "extremely concerning".

"The tipping point after which our ability to prevent a global pandemic seems a lot closer after the past 24 hours," he said on Monday.

WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told the BBC that the situation was not being seen as a pandemic at the moment because countries were managing to prevent the virus spreading too far.

"If countries took no measures at all we would have seen way, way, way more cases," she said. "That's what we mean by containment."

What are the symptoms?

The main signs of infection are fever (high temperature) and a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

What should I do?

Frequent handwashing with soap or gel, avoiding close contact with people who are ill and not touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands can help cut the risk of infection.

Catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue, binning it and washing your hands can minimise the risk of spreading disease.

World edges closer to coronavirus pandemic

Analysis by Fergus Walsh, medical correspondent

The combined situation in South Korea, Iran and Italy points to the early stages of pandemic.

In each of these countries we are seeing spread of the virus with no connection to China. The lockdown efforts in Italy mirror those that have happened in China.

The situation in Iran is especially worrying, because the health authorities have reportedly said the virus has spread to multiple cities, and it appears the first case in Lebanon is linked to a traveller from Iran.

If we have a pandemic, it will still be important to limit the speed of spread of the virus.

If countries could hold it somewhat at bay until the end of winter, there is a hope that warmer temperatures will reduce the time the virus can survive in the air, as we see with seasonal flu. But this may not be certain.

What does 'pandemic' mean?

• A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease
  
• The H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak, which killed hundreds of thousands of people, was declared a pandemic by the WHO in 2009
  
• The WHO no longer formally labels an outbreak of disease a "pandemic" but says the term may be used "colloquially"
  
• Its advice to countries - to limit the infections while preparing for wider spread - remains the same

Which are the worst-affected countries?

South Korea - which has the largest number of confirmed cases outside China - reported another 231 infections on Monday taking the total there to more than 830. Eight people have died.

Around 7,700 troops have been quarantined after 11 military members were infected.

But the biggest virus clusters have been linked to a hospital and a religious group near the south-eastern city of Daegu.

Italy has the largest number of cases in Europe, 165, and announced a series of drastic measures over the weekend to try to contain the outbreak.

In the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, a lock-down is in place in several small towns. For the next two weeks, 50,000 residents will not be able to leave without special permission.

Even outside the zone, many businesses and schools have suspended activities, and sporting events have been cancelled.

The two latest deaths announced on Monday were both in Lombardy, Italian media reported.

It is not yet clear how the virus entered the country, officials said.

In China, officials in the city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, announced on Monday that some non-residents would be allowed to leave if they showed no symptoms.

However, authorities later said that order was made without authorisation and had been revoked.

China reported 409 new infections on Monday, the bulk of which were in Wuhan.

Iran said on Sunday it had 43 confirmed cases of the virus, most of them in the holy city of Qom. Twelve of those infected have died, the highest number of deaths outside China.

On Monday an MP in Qom accused the government of covering up the extent of the outbreak, saying there were 50 deaths in the city alone. However, the country's deputy health minister quickly denied the claim.

Meanwhile, North Korea has quarantined 380 foreigners in a bid to stop the coronavirus from breaking out.

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