By Burak Bir
ANKARA (AA) - The death toll in Italy from the novel coronavirus known COVID-19 surged to 631 on Tuesday after 168 more fatalities were confirmed in the last 24 hours, according to the officials.
The country suspended all schools and universities until mid-March due to the outbreak.
To prevent further spread of the virus, the government has discouraged handshaking as well as taking part in sports events, with many large gatherings suspended and those older than 65 advised to stay at home.
The confirmed number of cases early Tuesday in the country was 9,172, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The global death toll from the coronavirus is now over 4,000, with nearly 114,000 confirmed cases.
The virus originated in China but has reached over 100 countries, with the WHO saying on Monday that the “threat of a pandemic has become very real”.
As part of efforts to contain the outbreak, some governments closed borders and suspended land and air travel with the worst-hit countries.