Foreign Minister Di Maio says Italy to keep block on China flights

Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Friday said Italy would keep a block on flights to and from China due to the coronavirus emergency until Italian health authorities say it can be lifted.

"The block on flights is a measure that we have taken to immediately deal with an emergency, and we will keep it in place as long as health authorities and therefore the scientific community tell us that we should," Di Maio told a press conference in Madrid.

Earlier on Friday Chinese news agency, Xinhua reported that Italy had told China it was ready to resume some flights, but Rome denied this.