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ROME, March 22-- Italy's interior and health ministries issued Sunday a joint ordinance banning all domestic travel as the coronavirus epidemic continued to advance in the country. "Beginning today, throughout the national territory it is forbidden for individuals to travel, whether by public or private transportation, to a municipality that is different from the one in which they find themselves in," said the ordinance. "The sole exceptions: provable work reasons or reasons of absolute health emergency," it said, adding that the new measure will be in place "until a new decree is issued by the Prime Minister." Speaking at a nightly televised press conference, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli confirmed that 46,638 people have tested actively positive for the coronavirus and 5,476 have died from the epidemic. Of those infected, 23,783 are in isolation at home, 19,846 are hospitalized and 3,009 are in intensive care, he said, adding that a total of 7,024 patients have recovered. The numbers are up from an official tally on Saturday evening of 42,681 active infections, 4,825 deaths, and 6,072 recoveries. The sum of infections, deaths and recoveries in Italy now stands at 59,138, up from 53,578 of Saturday, according to the Health Ministry. Borrelli also confirmed that 12 Civil Protection staff members have tested positive for the virus. The new joint ordinance from the interior and health ministries comes after some Italians tried to duck the government's so-called "Stay Home Decree" issued earlier this month, which forbids all unnecessary movement outside the home in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. | 
