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ROME, March 9-- The blue-chip index on the Italian Stock Exchange plunged by 11.2 percent Monday over fears of an economic slowdown due to the country's outbreak of the coronavirus. Analysts said it could be just the start of a trend. Italy's economy has been hit hard by the outbreak of the virus. Factories and offices are closed, including many that produce high-end luxury goods that have been one of the country's most reliable economic categories. Officials worry luxury companies in other countries may gain market share that will be difficult for the Italian companies to win back. In addition to that, tourist arrivals have dramatically dropped since news of the outbreak began to spread five weeks ago. The domestic market has also softened, with Italians staying home and spending less due to worries of the virus. Restaurants, cinemas, bars, and other places where groups of people might meet are closing their doors or limiting access. A government decree that allows mortgage holders to delay payments until the crisis ends will help some companies but will also hurt lenders. "The economic problems from coronavirus in Italy are more severe because the economy was already weak before all this started," Giovanni Battista Ponzetto, co-founder of the Tokos Financial Consulting Firm, told Xinhua. "It is also significant that the virus outbreak is strongest where the economy is most vibrant." | 
