The Story More than a quarter of Italy's population is on lockdown. What's happening? Over the weekend, as Italy saw its largest daily rise in reported COVID-19 infections, the government quarantined parts of the northern region, where 85% of cases in the country have been reported. Now, more than 16 million people are on lockdown. Residents trying to leave the region could be hit with fines or jail-time as punishment for breaking quarantine rules. Will that stop the spread? Italy hopes so. And that it prevents hospitals from being overwhelmed with patients. But the lockdown – which impacts cities like Milan (the country's financial hub) and Venice (a major tourist destination) – could push the country's already fragile economy into recession. The quarantine is scheduled until at least April 3. Italy's move highlights how various countries are dealing with their outbreaks:
China…where the word is containment. Since January, millions have been in lockdown in Wuhan, where the outbreak was first reported. Over the weekend, the number of reported infections outside of Wuhan reportedly dropped significantly. And at least 53,000 of those known to have been infected have recovered. The World Health Organization has praised China's tough response. But many people there are experiencing anxiety and depression.
South Korea…where the country has declared "war" on the coronavirus. And has tested more than 140,000 people, including at drive-thru clinics. The country's current fatality rate appears to be around 0.6% (for context, the WHO estimates that the global fatality rate is 3.4%). South Korea's widespread testing could be the reason for the lower number.
Iran...where the move was 'downplay, downplay, downplay' until more than 20 gov officials were infected. Now, the country has shut down all schools and universities and threatened those who hoard supplies like face masks with the death penalty. Meanwhile, it's temporarily released more than 50,000 inmates who've tested negative to avoid the spread of coronavirus in prisons.
The US…which is moving toward a "mitigation phase" according to the surgeon general. He's urging calm as the number of infections topped 500 and at least 22 people have died. New York is the latest state to declare a state of emergency to combat the outbreak. And South by Southwest canceled its conference, affecting more than 400,000 people. theSkimm COVID-19 is now in over 100 countries, with 300 million children out of school. Millions of people are in lockdown, as governments take a variety of approaches to stop the virus from spreading.
Skimm More: We Skimm'd what you need to know about the virus and how you can protect yourself. | 
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