Nearly 200 people in Italy have died in 24 hours as cases of coronavirus in the locked down country continue to rise.

There have been 827 deaths in Italy and the number of cases increased by more than 2,000, from 10,149 to 12,462, official figures showed.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has added new restrictions, saying all shops will be shut apart from supermarkets, food stores and chemists, and companies must close all departments which are not essential to production.

Businesses such as hairdressers and beauty parlours will also be shut, along with bars and restaurants that cannot guarantee they can keep a distance of at least one metre between customers.

In the worst-hit area, the northern region of Lombardy, there have been 617 fatalities, an increase of 149 in the last 24 hours.


The number of cases in the region - which includes Italy's financial capital Milan and has seen the majority of cases of the virus - has also risen by 1,489 in the last 24 hours, Reuters reported.

It comes after the Republic of Ireland reported its first death of a patient who tested positive for coronavirus, the country's Health Protection Surveillance Centre has said.

In a statement, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said: "I would like to extend my condolences to the family and friends of this patient.

Image: A medical worker takes a nose swab at a drive-through facility in Liege, Belgium

"I urge the media and the public to respect their privacy at this difficult time.

"We continue our efforts to interrupt the transmission of this virus. It will take all of us, collectively to succeed. Please continue to follow public health advice."

Countries including Sweden, Belgium, Bulgaria and Kuwait have also reported their first fatalities following positive tests for COVID-19 - the disease caused by coronavirus.

Earlier on Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said up to 70% of the country's population could be infected with coronavirus, with the number of deaths linked to the disease rising across the world.

Mrs Merkel was citing expert estimates as she insisted on the importance of taking measures to slow the spread of the illness, with her government recommending the cancellation of all events with more than 1,000 people.

Germany has confirmed 1,300 infections as of Wednesday including three deaths.

Mrs Merkel said at a news conference in Berlin: "You have to understand that if the virus is there, and the population has no immunity yet to this virus, there are no vaccines and no therapy so far, a high percentage - experts say 60 to 70% - of the population will be infected."

Image: A delivery of anti-bacterial hand wash outside a Dublin shop

Germany's Lufthansa airline has cancelled 23,000 flights that were due to take place across March and April.

The latest health ministry figures in Spain say there are 2,002 cases in the country, up from 363 on Tuesday.

Deaths in the country reached 47 on Wednesday, up 11 from the day before.

Hungary is to ban inbound travel from Italy, South Korea, Iran and China, as well as closing universities and banning public gathering.

Italy has recorded soaring deaths among its ageing population.

Mr Conte place the entire country of 62 million people on lockdown on Saturday in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, Qatar has said its cases of the coronavirus have risen from 24 to 262.

The Middle Eastern country said the cases had been found in quarantine and not out in public.

In Saudi Arabia, cinemas have been closed until further notice in an attempt to stop the spread of the illness.

More than 119,000 people have been infected with the disease worldwide and over 4,200 have died.

The virus has disrupted travel, closed schools and halted manufacturing in places around the globe.

Image: A tourist wears a face mask in Rome

Other coronavirus developments include:

An eighth person has died after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK; confirmed cases rise to 460

NHS in England to "ramp up" testing facilities so 10,000 tests can be done each day

so 10,000 tests can be done each day Manchester City's game against Arsenal tonight is postponed and players are self-isolating

tonight is postponed and players are self-isolating The Ivory Coast has confirmed its first case of the coronavirus

Hungary is to ban travel from Italy, South Korea, Iran and China

US festival Coachella pushed back until October

A man is pulled from the rubble of a quarantine hotel in China nearly three days after it collapsed

South Korea reports 242 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country's total infections to 7,755

UN weather agency chief says decreased energy use due to the coronavirus is improving air quality in China

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

The Vatican's representative to East Timor said that an expected visit by Pope Francis, though never made official, would not happen later this year.

Dozens of cases in the US are being tied to a conference in Boston, and leaders in multiple states are announcing curbs on large events.

Universities around the country are emptying their classrooms and moving to online instruction and uncertainty surrounds the upcoming opening of the Major League Baseball.

The two men vying to take on Mr Trump in the US presidential election - former vice president Joe Biden and senator Bernie Sanders - have abruptly cancelled rallies and left open the possibility that future campaign events could be affected, too.

Mr Trump's campaign insisted it would proceed as normal, though vice president Mike Pence conceded future rallies would be evaluated "on a day to day basis".

The disruption across Europe and the US is said to be evidence of the continuing westward push of the virus.

How to contain a global pandemic

In China, where it first emerged, officials said they had counted only 24 new cases on Wednesday.

In a reversal of positions, China is seeing new cases brought in from overseas.

All the new cases of COVID-19 reported in Beijing on Wednesday came from outside the country, five from Italy and one from the US.

Iran's senior vice president, Eshaq Jahangiri and two other cabinet ministers have contracted the virus, the Fars news agency reported.

The number of coronavirus deaths rose by 62 to 354 amid more than 9,000 cases in the Islamic Republic.

The coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms for most, such as a temperature and cough.

But for a few, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illnesses, including pneumonia.