Italians handling coronavirus with 'great composure': Minister

Rome, March 5
Italians are reacting "with great composure" to the dramatic coronavirus outbreak, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio observed on Thursday, underlining that if Italy pulls together, it can get through the current crisis.

"One thing is certain: Italians are reacting with great composure. And for this very reason, I ask citizens to keep giving us a hand, to respect the rules and to follow all the measures the government is introducing," Di Maio said in a Facebook post.

"I know that together we can overcome this moment," he said.

The government has rolled out a raft of "exceptional" measures to limit the rapidly spreading coronavirus and protect citizens including the closure of schools and universities and has made available 760 million euros to help Italian companies weather the emergency, Di Maio's post noted.

"We are giving an example of serious behaviour also to the rest of the world and showing we are a strong country that has awareness," he added.

Outside China, Italy has the highest number of coronavirus patients who have died - at least 109. It the hardest-hit country in Europe with at least 2,706 confirmed cases of the respiratory disease. A number of countries have introduced travel restrictions to and from Italy over coronavirus fears.