LONDON — Italy’s sweeping lockdown of its north reverberated through Europe on Sunday, fueling fears of similarly draconian measures from London to Berlin, as officials grappled with how to slow the rapid-fire spread of the coronavirus in several of the world’s most open and democratic societies.

No other European country has yet gone as far as hard-hit Italy. But with confirmed cases of the virus spiking to more than 1,000 in France and 900 in Germany, both countries moved to halt large public gatherings, as their leaders called emergency meetings to step up the response to the epidemic.

Italy’s decision to quarantine a quarter of its population, paralyzing its economic heartland and affecting about 15 million people, sent tremors throughout Europe’s economy. It will deprive German carmakers of critical parts, force factories in other parts of Europe to close and almost certainly tip the continent into recession, according to analysts.

It is also testing Europe’s unity, which was already frayed by Britain’s departure from the bloc six weeks ago. Officials in Brussels appealed fruitlessly to France, Germany and the Czech Republic to lift controls on the export of protective medical gear, which they imposed to head off shortages at home. In Britain, some stores began imposing peacetime rationing.