
A coronavirus scare sparked a snap travel freeze between Austria and Italy tonight, as officials in Vienna scrambled to block the deadly infection breaching the border.

Ministers in Rome are firefighting a spike in the number of cases and have taken drastic action to contain the spread of the outbreak.

Venice's flagship carnival celebrations as well as all other public events have been postponed for at least one week.

And Italian designer Giorgio Armani announced he would be cancelling his Milan fashion show, instead opting to stream it online.

But the jump in confirmed diagnoses to 155 has made neighbouring countries hyper-sensitive, and tonight saw Austria prevent a suspected contaminated train from crossing the border.

The train carrying about 300 passengers from Venice to Munich was halted on the Italian side of the Brenner Pass for four hours before two people who had come down with flu-like symptoms tested negative.

Austria's interior ministry later said in a statement: 'We can give the all-clear,' but added all passengers disembarking in would have their identities checked as a precaution.

Austria has halted all train traffic to and from Italy following fears that passengers might be infected. The first train to be stopped was at the Brenner Pass in the Alps earlier today (pictured) over reports that two of those on board had a fever

In a previous statement, the ministry confirmed: 'Tonight a train on its way from Venice to Munich was stopped at the Austrian border. The further procedure is currently being discussed together with the Italian authorities.' But Austria has now taken the decision to ban all train traffic from the country

Venice has cancelled its flagship carnival celebration and all other public events due to be held in the city for at least one week after the new Covid-19 coronavirus killed three people in Italy and sparked a lockdown in 12 towns

Tourists wear protective face masks during the Carnival in Venice before authorities announced its cancellation

The final days of the carnival, which has already attracted thousands of visitors, will now be cancelled

Italian designer Giorgio Armani (pictured presenting his SS19 collection) has cancelled his Milan fashion show after the new Covid-19 coronavirus killed three people near the city and sparked a lockdown in 12 towns

Designer Giorgio Armani was photographed putting on a face mask as he arrived at the venue of the Autumn/Winter 2020 collection during Milan Fashion Week

The fashion show will instead be live-streamed on the brand's website later today to prevent people from having to travel to Milan to watch it

Armani released a statement this morning announcing the cancellation of today's 4pm show which read: 'The show will be shown behind closed doors, due to the recent developments of coronavirus in Italy, live-streamed in front of an empty teatro on the Armani website, therefore please do not attend the show this afternoon.'

Italian authorities also postponed three football matches in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto because of coronavirus fears, with the number of infections in the country now totalling 155.

On orders from the government, the Italian league games that were set to be played today - Inter Milan v Sampdoria, Atalanta v Sassuolo and Hellas Verona v Cagliari - were called off.

However three other matches in Genoa, Turin and Rome on Sunday were allowed to go ahead as scheduled with many fans wearing facemasks while sitting in the stands.

Members of the audience wear face masks as they attend the Dolce & Gabbana Autumn/Winter 2020 collection show during Milan Fashion Week today

A general view during the Dolce e Gabbana fashion show as part of Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020-2021 today

Exterior view on the Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Biagio e Santa Maria Immacolata church in a deserted Codogno

A dozen towns went into lockdown on Saturday, with 50,000 people were asked to stay indoors, after the deaths and a growing number of cluster cases with no direct links to the origin of the outbreak abroad. Pictured: Police blockade

Casalpusterlengo Police implement roadblocks to prevent the spreading of coronavirus and have informed those who enter that they cannot leave

A view of a deserted street in Codogno which is one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak

A view of a deserted street in Castiglione d'Adda, near Lodi, northern Italy, where the mayor ordered the closure of municipal offices and the municipal library

Roma supporters wear protective face masks due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic prior to the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and US Lecce at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy

Lazio fans were also pictured wearing face masks during the Serie A match between Genoa CFC and SS Lazio that went ahead at Stadio Luigi Ferraris earlier today

Medical staff transfers a patient to the hospital in Codogno, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak

The fashion house released a statement this morning announcing the cancellation and saying it would be streamed on their website

The famed Le Scala theatre in Milan has similarly cancelled all its upcoming operas for the foreseeable future.

A note left at the entrance, written in both Italian and English, read: 'The Teatro alla Scala's performances are suspended in relation to the spread of the coronavirus as a precautionary measure pending the provisions of the competent authorities.'

A dozen towns went into lockdown on Saturday, with 50,000 people were asked to stay indoors, after the deaths and a growing number of cluster cases with no direct links to the origin of the outbreak abroad.

The secondary contagions prompted local authorities in the Lombardy and Veneto regions to close schools, businesses and restaurants and to cancel sporting events and Masses.

The mayor of Milan, Italy's business capital and the regional capital of Lombardy, also shut public offices.

Carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival, which the last two days of, as well as Sunday night's festivities, have been cancelled

Tourists wear protective face masks in a gondola, because of an outbreak of coronavirus, in Venice

Masked carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival with Sunday night's festivities being cancelled because of an outbreak of coronavirus

The last two days of the carnival in Venice, as well as Sunday night's festivities, have been cancelled because of an outbreak of coronavirus. Pictured: Attendee wearing a facemask

Italians prepare for a weeks of quarantine as women wearing respiratory masks walked across Piazza del Duomo in central Milan earlier today

Italy became the first country in Europe to announce a death from coronavirus on Friday when retired bricklayer Adriano Trevisan, 78, died in a hospital in Padua after being admitted to the hospital for another health issue ten days ago, said local authorities.

His daughter, Vanessa, had been Mayor of Vo' Euganeo, a small town of 3,300 inhabitants which is now under lockdown.

A post-mortem of a 77-year-old woman in Lombardy also came back positive for coronavirus but it is not yet clear if it was the cause of her death.

Her death triggered the closing down of shops, offices and community centres in Casalpusterlengo, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

The third victim known to be infected with the coronavirus was an elderly female cancer patient who died earlier today, taking the death toll in Italy up to three.

The only other fatality in Europe was a Chinese tourist who died last week in France.

The first to die was retired bricklayer Adriano Trevisan, 78, (pictured) who passed away in a hospital in north eastern Italy on Friday evening

Three coronavirus patients in Italy have today died from the Covid-19 disease that has now killed 2,470 people and infected more than 78,986 globally. Pictured ambulances and health workers outside the hospital in Padua

A notice on the entrance doors, written in Italian and English, advises that La Scala theatre performances are suspended due to the spread of coronavirus in Milan, Italy

On orders from the government, the Italian league games set to be played today - Inter Milan v Sampdoria, Atalanta v Sassuolo and Hellas Verona v Cagliari - were called off. Pictured: Notice outside San Siro stadium

Hundreds of residents and workers in Italy who came into contact with those confirmed as infected are currently in isolation pending test results.

Civil protection crews set up a tent camp outside a closed hospital in Veneto to screen medical staff for the virus.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte expressed his sympathies over the deaths and said he had called an emergency meeting following the sudden jump in the number of those infected.

He said: 'I was surprised by this explosion of cases. We will do everything we can to contain the contagion.'

The few people that did leave their homes wore coveted face masks which have largely sold out in pharmacies.

The president of Lombardy, Attilio Fontana, said there were 110 confirmed cases in the region, where 10 towns received orders to suspend non-essential activities and services.

Health Minister Luca Zaia said on Saturday that the contagion showed that the virus is transmitted like any other flu and trying to pinpoint a single source of infection or one with direct links to China is no longer effective.

He said 'You can get it from anyone. We can expect to have cases of patients who had no contact (with suspected carriers).'

The virus itself is not considered to be particularly lethal unless it is contracted by the elderly or people with existing conditions, he said.

Grocery stores in Casalpusterlengo, where the second patient died, have reportedly only been allowing shoppers (pictured) to enter in groups of 40 in 10-minute slots

Empty shelves at Esselunga supermarket as people stockpile due to the fear of the new coronavirus

Pictured is a police officer in Venice patrolling the canal after the announcement that the city would be cancelling its flagship carnival

Tourists walk round Venice wearing face masks after the announcement that the city would be cancelling the last days of its renowned carnival

An empty street is seen in the town of Castiglione D'adda, which has been closed by the Italian government due to a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy

A view of a deserted Codogno, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak

A general view shows an empty street on February 23, 2020 in the small Italian town of Codogno under the shadow of a new coronavirus outbreak

The first town to be shuttered was Codogno, with a population of 15,000, where three people tested positive for the virus, including a 38-year-old man and his wife, who is eight months pregnant.

The 38-year-old, who works for Unilever in Lodi, is believed to have contracted the virus after meeting a friend for a drink who had recently returned from China.

He is now reportedly in a stable condition in hospital.

One of his friends from a running club, the son of a bar owner in Codogno as well as three regulars at the bar have now also tested positive.

Tests are underway on the 38-year-old's doctor, who made a house call on him, as well as on 120 people he worked with in the research and development branch of Unilever in Casalpusterlengo, said Lombardy regional health chief Giulio Gallera.

A Carabinieri car patrols in Codogno, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak

A person wearing a face mask rides a bicycle in the town of Codogno, which has been closed by the Italian government due to a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy

The second patient to die was an elderly woman whose death has triggered the closing down of shops, offices and community centres in Casalpusterlengo, according to Italian news agency Ansa. Pictured are medical workers outside a hospital in Padua

Health workers and a patient are seen outside a hospital in Padua as ten towns in the region of Lombardy are under lockdown

Residents of the northern towns of Codogno and Castiglione d'Adda are being urged to stay at home as medical tests continue

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala (right) and the Prefect of Milan Renato Saccone (left) during a press conference about the new coronavirus outbreak in Milan

Codogno mayor Francesco Passerini said the news of the cases 'has sparked alarm' throughout the town south of Milan.

Five doctors and 14 other people tested positive for the virus in Lombardy, after apparently frequenting the same bar, with two other cases in Veneto, authorities said at a press conference.

Codogno resident Carmelo Falcone, 76, said: 'We are old and we are very concerned.

'I live on my own. I really don't know what to do.'

Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said Italy is now seeing the same sort of 'cluster' of cases that Germany and France have seen.

He signed an ordinance with Lombardy's regional president outlining measures to contain the cluster to the 10 towns so far affected: Codogno, Castiglione d'Adda, Casalpusterlengo, Maleo, Fombio, Bertonico, Castelgerundo, Terranova dei Passerini, Somaglia and San Fiorano.

Cemetery closed due to Coronavirus emergency in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown

The second patient to die was a woman whose identity is yet to be released and has triggered the closing down of shops, offices and community centres in Codogno and Castiglione d'Adda (pictured)

A deserted street is pictured in Codogno, southeast of Milan, today after the cordons were put in place

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the Civil Protection headquarters for a meeting following the wave of coronavirus cases in northern Italy

The towns, which have between 1,000-15,000 residents each, are located around 37 miles southeast of Milan, Lombardy's capital and Italy's business centre.

The ordinance suspends public gatherings, commercial and business activity, sport, education, and other recreational activities throughout the region, according to Mr Speranza.

He defended the precautionary measures Italy had previously taken and noted that Italy remains the lone European country to have barred flights to and from China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

He added: 'We had the highest measures in Europe.'

Individual cities outside the core cordon area, such as Cremona, issued their own restrictions cancelling school after confirming their own cases.

Streets in the towns were deserted, with only a few people seen abroad, and signs showing public spaces closed.

A note reading 'no entry' hangs on the entrance door of the Codogno Hospital in Lodi

A note reading in Italian 'Masks sold out' and 'pharmacy is open for urgencies but doors are closed', hang on the window of a pharmacy in Codogno

A sign reading 'Closed by Municipal Decree, for any orders call the following numbers' is put up on a shop's window in Codogno

In Casalpusterlengo, where the second patient died, a large electronic message board outside the town hall read 'Coronavirus: the population is invited to remain indoors as a precaution'.

Grocery stores in the area have reportedly only been allowing shoppers to enter in groups of 40 in 10-minute slots.

One police officer patrolling a checkpoint in the area said: 'We're going to quickly enforce a total blockade.

'We're letting people know that if they come in, they won't be able to leave.

'I have to admit they're taking it pretty well. You can see they were expecting it - that they were prepared in some way.'

Residents of the northern towns of Codogno and Castiglione d'Adda are being urged to stay at home as medical tests continue.

Some 250 people were being placed in isolation after coming into contact with the new cases, according to the Lombardy region, and 60 worker at Unilever have been tested for the virus.

A general view shows a deserted street in Codogno, southeast of Milan today

An elderly person on a stretcher is taken to an ambulance by members of the Italian Red Cross wearing face masks, outside the Codogno Civic Hospital in Lodi, northern Italy

Earlier today, 19 Italians who spent more than two weeks quarantined on a virus-stricken cruise liner in Japan landed at Rome's military Pratica di Mare airport.

They had been stranded on the Diamond Princess since February 5.

Following the first health checks and decontamination process, the passengers were transferred to the military campus of Cecchignola where they will spend a 14-day isolation period.

In Rome, doctors at the Spallanzani infectious disease hospital reported some good news in the otherwise bleak day after an Italian citizen who tested positive for the virus two weeks ago gets set to be released.

A note reading 'no entry' hangs on the entrance door of the Codogno Hospital in Lodi

In Casalpusterlengo, where the second patient died, a large electronic message board outside the town hall read 'Coronavirus: the population is invited to remain indoors as a precaution'

Six Italians tested positive for the coronavirus yesterday (pictured is an ambulance transporting one of the patients) in the northern Italian region of Lombardy

Originating in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the new virus has infected more than 75,400 people inside China and 78,572 globally. In the picture above, a security staff member checks a passenger's temperature at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport on January 26

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was concerned by the upsurge in new cases and a lack of clarity over its spread despite the number of cases outside China remaining relatively small.

The European Regional Director Hans Kluge said on Twitter: 'I am sending a... team to Italy to work together to learn about virus spread and (how to) contain it.'

The Director General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also took to social media to say that cases with no clear link include those with no travel history to China or contact with a confirmed case.

The disease remained mild in 80 per cent of coronavirus patients but was severe or critical in 20 per cent of patients, according to reports.

Mr Ghebreyesus added: 'Our biggest concern continues to be the potential for COVID-19 to spread in countries with weaker health systems.

'We have also published a strategic preparedness and response plan, with a call for $675million to support countries, especially those which are most vulnerable.'

Italian tourists from the cruise ship Diamond Princess arrive at Cecchignola Military headquarters after landing, in Rome

Italian tourists from the cruise ship Diamond Princess arrive at Cecchignola Military headquarters after landing, in Rome

An Italian military plane carrying European passengers who were evacuated from the coronavirus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, is seen on the runway after it landed at the Pratica di Mare military airport

Elsewhere, seven countries have imposed bans on people entering from Iran after the country announced that eight people had died from the new Covid-19 coronavirus and 43 have been infected.

These include Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Armenia.

Similarly, officials in both South Korea and Japan have signaled in the past week that the spread is entering a new phase in their countries.

On Friday, South Korean Prime Minister Chung Se-kyun said the government would have to shift its focus from quarantine and border control to slowing the spread of the virus.