Long queues for food as Italy is put in lockdown

Residents in the Italian capital formed long queues at supermarkets to stockpile food on Monday night, after Premier Giuseppe Conte put the entire country on lockdown to combat the coronavirus. At a Carrefour Market in central-north Rome, which regularly stays open overnight, entry and exit was being regulated by staff, as customers lined up outside with shopping trolleys.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80-thousand people have been diagnosed and more than 58-thousand have so far recovered.

The Italian government has effected a ban on all but the most important travel in the country.

Two days after imposing the same strict measures on a quarter of the country, in the hard-hit north, Conte on Monday urged all 60 million Italians to stay home.

The only travel allowed will be for proven work reasons, for health conditions or other cases of necessity.

The nationwide restrictions take effect Tuesday until April 3 and include extending the closures of schools and universities and closing pubs, eateries and cafes at dusk.