What's going on: Italy under control, infected officials

Posted: March 10, 2020 7:03 a.m. CDT / Update: March 10, 2020/09: 9 CDT

ROME (AP) Italy is entering its first day on national lockdown after a government decree extended restrictions on movement from the hard-hit north to the rest of the country. As the number of infected people increased in Italy, there were more and more signs of normalcy returning to China, where President Xi Jinping made his first trip to the epicenter of the Wuhan virus. The contrast illustrates the global spread of the virus from east to west.

Here are some of the latest developments on Tuesday:

ITALY STARTS LIFE UNDER NATIONAL BLOCK

Italy is entering its first day under national foreclosure after a decree signed Monday evening by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte extended restrictions on movement from the hard-hit northern regions to the rest of the country. Panic purchases erupted, prompting the government to assure citizens that supermarkets will remain open and stocked. The storytelling office said that the supermarket shopping runs against the intent of the new decree, which aims to prevent Italians from gathering. Soldiers and police enforced the travel ban, and rifle teams patrolled cafes to make sure the owners kept customers one meter (about three feet) from each other. Other. Meanwhile, neighbors Malta and Italy have slammed their borders with Italy closed.

PRESIDENT OF CHINA VISITS EPICENTER OF VIRUSES

Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit to the Wuhan Coronavirus epicenter for the first time since the start of the epidemic when parts of the country appeared to be back to normal. It was one of many recent signs of the diminishing threat of coronavirus in China as the disease spreads to the west. In mainland China, where the outbreak began in December, almost three-quarters of the more than 80,000 patients who contracted the virus have recovered. Employees returned to work, but with new routines that include workers wearing protective masks and not facing each other while eating.

VIRUS INFECTING POLITICAL AND MILITARY LEADERS

A growing number of military and political leaders are falling ill with the virus. The Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, General Jaroslaw Mika, was diagnosed upon his return from a meeting in Germany. Many other officials have isolated themselves from a potential exposure, including the new chief of staff to President Donald Trump, the German Minister of the Interior and the Norwegian Minister of Defense. The lower house of the Spanish Parliament canceled its activities for a week after an extreme right-wing member of the Vox party tested positive when the number of cases in the country reached 1,600. This follows the French Minister of Culture and several French legislators tested positive for the virus. In Italy, Nicola Zingaretti, the governor of the Lazio region, also at the head of the Democratic Party, is also recovering.

STABLE STOCKS AFTER DIVING

Global stock markets rebounded and oil prices rallied after a scorching day on Monday. Markets in Europe and Asia were higher and stocks on Wall Street also jumped. Massive sales on Monday reflected concern over potential economic hardship following factory closings and tight travel controls. Israel, for example, has decided to quarantine all visitors to the country, while Austria declares that it will prohibit entry for most travelers from Italy.

ITALIAN PATIENT NO. 1 BETTER BETTER

Italian doctors celebrated a small victory in their battle against the coronavirus after a 38-year-old man was withdrawn from intensive care for the first time since he tested positive on February 21. He is considered the first Italian to have contracted Patient Coronavirus No. 1. But in the rest of northern Italy, the spread of the virus increased so exponentially that doctors had to decide who had priority in care and access to beds in intensive care units. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, and the vast majority of people recover. For some, especially the elderly and people with existing health problems, this can cause more serious illnesses, including pneumonia.

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