By Luca Bruno And Frances D'Emilio (The Associated Press)

COVID-19 Italy

Italy cancels Venice Carnival in bid to halt spread of virus

Feb 23, 2020 | 1:20 PM

CODOGNO, Italy – Italian authorities have announced they are
shutting down Venice’s famed Carnival events in a bid to stop the
spread of the COVID-19 virus, as the number of infected people in the
country soars to at least 152, the most outside Asia.

The Veneto regional governor said the shutdown will begin Sunday evening.

Carnival, which draws tens of thousands of visitors to the lagoon
city, would have run through Tuesday.

Nearly all of Italy’s cases are clustered in the north, including in the northeast Veneto region which includes Venice. Authorities say they haven’t pinpointed the source of the outbreak.
(The Associated Press)