The effects of the Italy coronavirus lockdown

OTTAWA -- The nationwide coronavirus lockdown in Italy is affecting 60 million people across the country.

The Italian government has announced drastic measures in an effort to stop the spread of the rapidly-moving virus.

Those include no public gatherings, bar and restaurant closures at 6 p.m. and strict travel restrictions.

Canadian teacher Brock Young is living and working in Milan. He says the lockdown is hitting home.

“It feels like if you were walking through a city at 3 o’clock in the morning,” Young said. “You still see people out, but it’s almost a ghost town.”

In Rome, one of the world’s top tourist cities, usually busy streets and crowded sites are virtually deserted.

Air Canada has announced it's suspending all travel between Canada and Italy starting on Wednesday, March 11 over coronavirus concerns.

In an email to CTV News, air Canada said it will continue “to monitor this situation and evaluate conditions prior to resuming service; we currently plan to restart service May 1.”

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  A prelate walks outside St. Peter's Square after the Vatican erected a new barricade at the edge of the square, in Rome, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Italy entered its first day under a nationwide lockdown after a government decree extended restrictions on movement from the hard-hit north to the rest of the country to prevent the spreading of coronavirus. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)