Italy may consider the closure of the Lombardy region in response to an outbreak of the corona virus

The Italian Government is considering closing the North Lombardy region and 11 neighboring provinces to prevent the spread of the new corona virus in the area, the Wall Street Journal reports. Around 10 million people live in the region, including Milan. The WSJ says that a draft decree of the plan by the office of the Italian Prime Minister requires that people living in Lombardy and 11 surrounding provinces “must absolutely avoid any movement in and out of the areas.”

Anyone who breaks the lockdown can be fined or imprisoned and the police and possibly the country’s army can be called in to enforce the conditions. If approved, the quarantine will take effect on Sunday and will last until April 3, according to the New York Times. The draft decree instructs people not to move into quarantined areas other than for work obligations and emergencies.

Italy has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, with 5,883 cases from Saturday. The WSJ reports that 233 people in Italy have died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. The country already has limited public eventsand ordered schools closed, but the decree would be the largest lockdown in Italy to date.