Coronavirus italy shuts nearly all shops as who declares pandemic

On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This declaration was made after the virus had spread to multiple countries and the number of cases and deaths had increased significantly.

In Italy, the situation was particularly severe, with a high number of cases and deaths reported. On March 9, 2020, the Italian government announced a series of measures to try to contain the spread of the virus, including:

• Closing all shops, except for pharmacies, supermarkets, and food stores, from March 12 to April 3.
• Ordering the closure of all non-essential businesses, including restaurants, bars, and cafes.
• Restricting travel to and from the country, except for essential trips.
• Ordering the closure of all schools and universities.
• Implementing a curfew from 10pm to 5am.

These measures were intended to slow the spread of the virus and reduce the number of cases and deaths. The Italian government also increased the number of intensive care beds and medical staff to deal with the surge in cases.

The WHO's declaration of a PHEIC was made after a meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee, which is responsible for advising the WHO on the global response to public health emergencies. The committee concluded that the outbreak of COVID-19 was a "public health emergency of international concern" due to the following reasons:

• The virus had spread to multiple countries and regions.
• The number of cases and deaths had increased rapidly.
• The virus had caused significant illness and death, particularly among older adults and those with underlying health conditions.
• The virus had the potential to spread further and cause significant harm to global public health.

The WHO's declaration of a PHEIC triggered a global response to the outbreak, with many countries implementing measures to try to contain the spread of the virus.