Anyone living in Lombardy and 14 other central and northern provinces will need special permission to travel. Milan and Venice are both affected, BBC reported.

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also announced the closure of schools, gyms, museums, nightclubs and other venues in the nation to battle the virus which is presumed to have originated from China.

In Italy, the death toll due to the deadly coronavirus rose to 233 while the total number of infections shot up by a single-day record of 1,247 to hit 5,061.

According to National Civil Protection Agency, there are currently 2,742 positive cases in Lombardy, the worst-hit region of Italy.