Streets Empty in Tourist Centre of Florence After Italy Placed on Coronavirus Lockdown
Streets in the historic centre of Florence were nearly empty after Italy extended its coronavirus quarantine measures to the entire country on March 9.
The country’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, announced that travel would only be allowed for work or in case of family emergencies.
The virus-hit Lombardy region was previously placed in lockdown but the government had stopped short of putting in place further travel bans.
The country had the second-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases after China as of the evening of March 9, local time. Some 9,172 had been diagnosed with the virus, according to data from John Hopkins CSSE, resulting in 463 deaths.
In this video, the near-deserted streets of the Piazza del Duomo in the centre of Florence can be seen at night. The piazza surrounds the iconic 15th-Century Brunelleschi’s dome on the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Credit: autumnress via Storyful
