Coronavirus: Italy needs more soldiers in hardest hit region to enforce emergency lockdown

Italy's Lombardy region governor Attilio Fontana has emphasised that the country needs more soldiers than allocated to enforce an emergency lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Fontana during a news conference on Friday, March 20, said that he has made a series of requests to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in relation to the use of the army to make sure that the measures are strictly applied.

As per international media reports, 114 soldiers will be sent to Lombardy and the governor said that they need to add a zero (to that number) to seriously start discussing the crisis. 

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627 new deaths

Fontana reportedly said that the situation is not improving as Italy witnessed new confirmed cases and a great spike in death toll. The Lombardy region situated in northern Italy is closely coordinating with the mayors of the municipalities hit by coronavirus pandemic to put together a list of requests to send to the government.

The request includes limitations to physical activity in offices and professional ones, closure of construction sites and further limitation in commercial activities. Italy has confirmed a record 627 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, taking its overall toll to 4,000 as the pandemic gathered pace despite government efforts to halt its spread.

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