China has delayed its annual parliamentary meeting as authorities struggle to contain the coronavirus outbreak, which has spread to more countries and prompted fears of a global pandemic.
For the first time in decades, Beijing on Monday postponed the key political event, the National People’s Congress (NPC), where hundreds of delegates gather in Beijing every March.
The standing committee for the NPC said a new date for the meeting would be announced separately, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.
People in northern Italy have been in touch with the Guardian to say they have noticed empty shelves in local supermarkets.
Francesco Sole, a regional secretary of a trade union, from Milan said prices for face masks and antibacterial gel have skyrocketed.
“It’s quite a shock for us in northern Italy. My wife and I rushed to do some grocery shopping in fear of being stuck at home.
“Empty shelves for basic products such as flour, oil and bottled water were easily noticeable,” said the 46-year-old. “Finding a mask or antibacterial gel has become as challenging as finding water on the moon.
“Some companies have organised their workers to switch to smart working while many others are still seeking to find solutions to manage the situation. People in Milan are trying to figure out what life will be like in the days to come. For a city that is always on the move, this is an eerie pause.”
Francesca, 26, from Lodi said though the city is not under quarantine the rest of the region has closed schools, universities, theatres, and libraries. Francesca, who is a student at the Brera Academy of Fine Art in Milan, said:
“A lot of people in towns that are on lockdown work in Lodi, so everyone here has probably had contact with an infected person.
“Panic is spreading everywhere. Many hospitals’ emergency rooms (where not closed as a precautionary measure) are stormed unnecessarily. It has led people to literally empty supermarkets of long conservation products. Everyone here is constantly looking for updates about the situation and you never know if tomorrow you will be still allowed to go outside your house.
“Personally, I’m waiting to know if a colleague of my father and brother is positive or not. He is now hospitalised and is suspected of having it. If so, my family will probably have to be tested too.”
Spain currently has no plans to close its borders in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s health minister has said.
Salvador Illa said the authorities were focusing on reinforcing existing precautions throughout the health system and on raising awareness at ports and airports.
He said:
“For the moment, experts are advising us not to take other measures that may not be effective – although we’re ready if they need to be taken,” the minister said.
“People can trust the national health system and its professionals.
“Thus far, everything has been handled with the utmost competence but people should also be assured that we’re constantly monitoring the situation to adapt measures to the reality of the situation.”
Spain currently has two confirmed cases of the coronavirus: one on the Balearic island of Mallorca and another on the remote Canary island of La Gomera. Nine people have tested negative for the virus in recent hours and the authorities are waiting on test results from a further three.
Italy’s former far-right interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has attempted to politicise the coronavirus outbreak in the country, attacking the Italian government for not defending the country’s borders.
On Sunday, Salvini, who is also the leader of the League party, called on prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, to resign “if he isn’t able to defend Italy and Italians.”
In particular, Salvini cited the docking, on Sunday, of the NGO Ocean Viking rescue ship with 276 African migrants onboard in the Sicilian port of Pozzallo, to say Italy needs “to make our borders armour-plated.”
