Coronavirus world live updates: Italy records most deaths in a single day, now in total lockdown

With a dense population of 1.3 billion, India is bracing for the worst. Today it tested its coronavirus preparedness with a nationwide shutdown.

Italy has announced a total lockdown after suffering its worst day of the coronavirus pandemic, with 793 new deaths and 6557 new confirmed cases.

Both of those totals blow past the country's previous records.

A total of 4825 people have now died in Italy, and 53,578 have caught the virus.

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Italian PM Giuseppe Conte, in announcing the closures, said: "Today we decided to make one more step. The decision that has been taken by the government is to close on the whole territory of Italy any production activity that is not essential to provide us with goods and services of primary necessity."

He added that supermarkets, pharmacies, postal, and banking services will remain open, public transport will also be ensured.

The death toll from the global coronavirus pandemic has surpassed 12,000 people worldwide and sickened more than 291,000.

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