MILAN, March 24 (Reuters) - Italy’s petrol stations will start to close down because of the coronavirus epidemic, with pumps on the countries motorway network shutting as of Wednesday evening, the sector’s operators said.

Other pump stations will then gradually close down elsewhere, operator associations Faib Confesercenti, Fegica Cisl and Figisc/Anisa Confcommercio said in a statement.

The operators said it had become impossible to guarantee health safety standards and keep businesses going. (Reporting by Stephen Jewkes, editing by Valentina Za)