Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has enforced a nationwide lockdown as its number of coronavirus cases rose past 9 100 and the death toll jumped to 463.
This makes Italy the worst-affected country outside China.
Conte also cancelled all sports gatherings across the country, urging citizens to keep the common good at the top of mind and help control the spread of the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Wuhan on Tuesday for his first visit to the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic since the crisis erupted in January - a major sign that officials believe the outbreak is under control.
