Tanzanians in Italy cautioned as the European country is hit by Coronavirus

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian Embassy to Italy on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, alerted Tanzanians living in Italy to take precautions against deadly Coronavirus, as new infections and deaths were reported in the European country.

According to reports, more than 219 infections and five deaths have been confirmed in Italy.

In a statement, the Embassy urged Tanzania Diaspora in Italy to remain calm as the Italian authorities have embarked on immediate measures to contain the spread of the viral infection.

The Italian authorities have set up roadblocks, called off football matches, sealed off the worst-affected towns and banned public gatherings across a wide area, the reports further indicate.

“…People are urged to take precautions such as wearing face masks, washing hands and avoiding unnecessary physicals contacts,” a part of the statement reads.

 Officially known as COVID-19, the virus has so spread to almost 30 countries and killed about two dozen people. In China, it has infected some 77,000 people and killed more than 2,500, most of them in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak and the capital of Hubei.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Coronavirus outbreak has not reached the level of a pandemic but warned countries to step up preparations to deal with such a scenario, as new deaths and infections were reported in the Middle East and Europe.

Most international cases are in people who have been to China, the reports indicate.

While the global health agency is very concerned about the spread of the virus within countries, its chief said on last Monday the infections in China - the country where it originated late last year - have been declining since early February, which proved that the virus can be contained.