Venice Carnival to be halted due to coronavirus outbreak

The last two days of the Venice Carnival, which draws tourists from around the world, have been cancelled because of an outbreak of coronavirus, the head of the Veneto region Luca Zaia said on Sunday.

Zaia told reporters that events scheduled for Sunday in the lagoon city would continue as planned. "But as of this evening there will be a ban on the Venice Carnival as well as on all events, sporting as well, until March 1 inclusive," he said.

Earlier, Zaia reported the first two cases of coronavirus in Venice as officials struggled to contain an outbreak of the disease across northern Italy.