London | The Italian government has moved swiftly into its total coronavirus lockdown, setting up checkpoints and ordering tourists to leave, while scrambling for ways to ease the pain of the extraordinary 3½-week quarantine.
The government late on Tuesday (AEDT) announced that borrowers' mortgage repayments would be suspended, and the European Union wheeled out a €25 billion ($43 billion) investment fund to prop up the Continent's virus-whacked economies.
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Hans van Leeuwen covers British and European politics, economics and business from London. He has worked as a reporter, editor and policy adviser in Sydney, Canberra, Hanoi and London. Connect with Hans on Twitter. Email Hans at hans.vanleeuwen@afr.com