The government has decided to close
all of Italy's schools and universities until the middle of
March because of the coronavirus, sources said Wednesday.
Schools are already closed in the northern regions worst hit
by the emergency, Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, as well
as in Piedmont and Friuli Venezia Giulia and in the province of
Savona, in Liguria, and Pesaro-Urbino, in Marche.
The decision looks set to be announced officially shortly.
Education Minister Lucia Azzolina said the final decision has
not been made yet, saying it would "arrive in the next few
hours" after a meeting of experts.
Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora, meanwhile said Wednesday
that the government was likely to order that professional soccer
matches and other big sporting events be played behind closed
doors because of the coronavirus emergency.
Opposition nationalist League party leader Matteo Salvini
said on the government's decision to close schools that "it is
urgent to earmark economic aid for the parents who are working
and, with closed schools, have problems with children at home".
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