Pandemic: Italy prohibits entry from Brazil and 12 other countries

Italy on Thursday banned entry into its territory to travelers from Brazil and 12 other countries, considered to be at high risk of contamination by coronavirus. Travelers who have stayed or transited in the past two weeks through Brazil, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Moldova, Oman, Panama, Peru and the Dominican Republic.

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A decree to this effect has been signed by the Ministry of Health, in agreement with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Interior and Transport. “In the world, the pandemic is in its most acute phase. We can not nullify the sacrifices made by the Italians in recent months, " said the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, adding that he intended to exercise " the maximum of caution ". The first country affected outside of China, Italy has paid a heavy price for the epidemic of new coronavirus, with nearly 35,000 deaths and more than 242,000 cases of contamination.

The disease now appears to be under control, according to figures from the health authorities, with 12 deaths in the last 24 hours, against 15 Wednesday and 30 Tuesday, even if the number of new cases increased for the second consecutive day ( 229).

In several regions of the world, on the other hand, the pandemic, which has killed more than 550,000 people since the end of December, continues to progress. Brazil is now the second most affected country, with nearly 67,000 deaths according to an AFP count, behind the United States (more than 132,000).