Four new deaths were announced in the two regions - two men and two women, the youngest of whom was 76. As a swathe of European Union countries advised their citizens not to visit northern Italy, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said he would meet foreign ambassadors in Rome to explain the progress of the outbreak and measures taken to counter it. "We agreed to keep borders open, closing borders would be a disproportionate and ineffective measure at this time," Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said. However, the World Health Organization, which sent a mission to Rome, praised Italy's efforts at suppressing the outbreak. He praised Italy's health service as "among the most efficient and rigorous in the world" and urged foreign tourists to keep visiting.

Source: bd News24 February 25, 2020 18:22 UTC