A quarter of the Italian population was locked down on Sunday as the government took drastic steps to stop the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) that is sweeping the globe, with Latin America recording its first fatality. Italy has seen the most deaths from the COVID-19 disease of any country outside China, where the outbreak that has now killed more than 3,500 people and infected over 1,00,000 worldwide began in December.

The measures in place until April 3 bar people from entering or leaving vast areas of northern Italy without good reason, according to a decree signed by the Prime Minister and published online. The quarantine zones are home to more than 15 million people and include the regions around Venice and financial capital Milan, while cinemas, theatres and museums will be closed nationwide.