Italy Places 16 Million People on Quarantine Over Coronavirus

Head of Italy's Co-governing Democratic Party Infected

An iconic balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet, virtually deserted as Italy battles a coronavirus outbreak,in Verona, Italy, on March 7, 2020. Alberto Lingria/Reuters

Italy introduced drastic new measures to fight the coronavirus epidemic, including a quarantine on 16 million people in the wealthy northern part of the country.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree on Sunday that effectively will place millions of people on lockdown. The entire Lombardy region as well as 14 other provinces are now facing government-mandated travel restrictions, including Milan, Venice, and Parma.