The total number of dead in Italy rose to 107 after 28 people died of the highly contagious virus over the past 24 hours, the Civil Protection Agency said. Education Minister Lucia Azzolina said schools and universities all over the country would be closed from Thursday until at least March 15. Only those in the northern regions most heavily affected by the epidemic have been closed so far. The number of cases since the outbreak surfaced 13 days ago rose to 3,089 from 2,502 on Tuesday. "I hoped for this decree because I feared an outbreak at school," said Massimiliano Del Ninno, father of a Rome primary school student.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 04, 2020 21:33 UTC