Coronavirus Europe deaths top 500 with new Italy toll

The death toll in Europe from the coronavirus topped 500 on Monday, after Italy recorded a sharp rise in fatalities.

Italy's civil protection agency reported 97 new deaths, bringing the country's toll to 463, as the country takes a series of stringent measures to battle the spread of the virus.

As of 1800 GMT, Italy had recorded more than half of all the deaths -- 854 -- reported outside China since the crisis first began to unfold at the end of last year, according to an AFP tally.

The number of Europeans killed by the virus now stands at 511, including 21 in France, 16 in Spain, four in Britain, three in the Netherlands, two in Switzerland and two in Germany, AFP figures show.

The number of people infected in Italy rose to 9,172 -- an increase of 1,797 on Sunday's figures.

That total includes 724 people who have recovered.

Italy's protection agency said 733 people were in intensive care in the country.

The worst-hit area remains the wealthy Lombardy in the north, the heart of a vast "lockdown" zone which stretches across swathes of the country to include several major cities, including Venice.

People were officially banned from entering or leaving unless they could prove they have a pressing and valid reason for travel, though travel in the regions affected largely continued.