Schools and universities in northern Italy will stay closed for a second consecutive week.
According to Reuters, it's an effort to contain Europe’s worst outbreak of coronavirus.
The decision by the Italian government has dashed any hopes of a quick return to normality.
The death toll from the contagion rose by eight during the day to 29 in Italy, while the total number of cases jumped by 240 to 1,128.
The vast majority of cases were in the wealthy regions of Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia Romagna.