The Italian government on Monday extended travel restrictions and a ban on public gatherings to the whole country, as it scrambles to contain the deadly coronavirus, AFP reported. Italy, the epicentre of the disease in Europe, has reported more than 9,000 cases and over 400 deaths so far.

The lockdown, imposed till April 3, was extended from several large areas of the north to Italy’s entire population of over 60 million. Announcing the unprecedented measures late on Monday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said according to The Guardian: “There is no more time. I will take responsibility for these measures. Our future is in our hands.” The prime minister also signed a decree imposing the emergency measures and said the entire country will become a protected zone. He ordered people to stay home and travel only with permission.

Under the decree, all public events will be banned in Italy. Cinemas, theatres, gyms, discos and pubs will remain closed. Funerals, weddings and sporting events, including Serie A football matches, will be cancelled. Schools and universities across the country will remain closed till April 3.

With the imposition of the lockdown, residents will be able to travel between cities only for emergency reasons. They could face a fine and a three-month jail term for breaking quarantine rules. Those who must travel will need self-certification stating that they must cross the border for urgent business or health reasons.

The toll from the coronavirus in Italy rose from 366 to 463 on Monday, according to the head of the civil protection agency. The total number of cases rose to 9,172.

The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has infected over 1 lakh people across the world and killed nearly 4,000. Outside mainland China, Italy, Iran and South Korea are the worst-affected countries. Over 200 people have died and more than 7,000 have been infected in Iran. South Korea has reported over 7,500 cases and 54 deaths.

In India, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 56 on Tuesday. Six people in Kerala , three in Karnataka and two people in Pune tested positive for the infection. On Monday, one new case each was reported from Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.