This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

The death toll from Italy’s coronavirus outbreak has risen to 52, an increase of 18 since Sunday, as the number of confirmed cases in Europe’s worst-hit country rose to 1,835.

The civil protection agency said 149 people had recovered from the virus, up by 66 since Sunday. The authorities said 742 people had been admitted to hospital, with 166 in intensive care. The vast majority of those infected had shown few or no symptoms and were recovering at home.

Q&A How can I protect myself and others from the coronavirus outbreak? Show Hide The World Health Organization is recommending that people take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the coronavirus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine. The UN agency advises people to: Frequently wash their hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or warm water and soap

Cover their mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing

Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough

Seek early medical help if they have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and share their travel history with healthcare providers

Advice about face masks varies. Wearing them while out and about may offer some protection against both spreading and catching the virus via coughs and sneezes, but it is not a cast-iron guarantee of protection Many countries are now enforcing or recommending curfews or lockdowns. Check with your local authorities for up-to-date information about the situation in your area. In the UK, NHS advice is that anyone with symptoms should stay at home for at least 7 days. If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home.

Among those to have tested positive on Monday is a councillor from the Lombardy region, where there are more than 1,000 cases. Authorities there have advised people aged 65 and over, the group most vulnerable to the illness, to stay at home as much as possible over the next two weeks as the region tries to contain a virus.

Meanwhile, Rome confirmed its first cases, that of a police officer and a firefighter. The officer’s wife, two children and sister-in-law were also infected, the Lazzaro Spallanzani hospital for infectious diseases said.

Until Monday, the virus in the Italian capital had only been detected in a Chinese couple from the Wuhan, the city at the centre of the global outbreak, and an Italian man repatriated from China. All three have recovered after undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Coronavirus has spread to more than half of Italy’s 20 regions as cases were confirmed in Molise and on the island of Sardinia.

The economy has been badly damaged by the outbreak, with Ryanair announcing on Monday that it was scaling back services to Italy after a significant drop in bookings. BA and easyJet have also cancelled some flights; American Airlines has suspended flights to Milan until 24 April.

The Italian government is seeking support from Brussels to approve a €3.6bn (£3.1bn) package to help businesses withstand the economic fallout. This follows €900m worth of financial relief measures for 11 towns in Lombardy and Veneto that are still under lockdown.

Paolo Gentiloni, Italy’s former prime minister and European economic affairs commissioner, said the European commission would probably support the request.

“We will assess the requests of governments with a spirit of solidarity and understanding in these non-ordinary moments,” he said.