Italy in lockdown: quarantine extended

Italy has today extended its coronavirus quarantine to the whole country, Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte announced in a televised address this morning, casting further doubt on the world’s most well known design events.

The measure extends the quarantine announced several days ago that closed off the country’s north. The same restrictions — travel only for work, health or other urgent matters — will now apply across all Italian territories and include the suspension of all sporting events.

Conte called the stringent restrictions the “I stay home” decree, and said the measures were designed to minimise strain on the public health system. 

The lockdown casts further doubt on several design events scheduled over the coming months, including the Venice Architecture Biennale and the Salone del Mobile, which have both been postponed. 

This story is currently breaking and we will update it as more information is available.