Naples and Florence declared as coronavirus red zones

Police officers patrol a street in Naples (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

The regions of Italy that include the cities of Naples and Florence have been declared as coronavirus red zones as hospitals struggle with a surge in new admissions.

The director of the National Health Institute, Gianni Rezza, said the stricter measures were justified by a “worrisome increase in hospitalisations” as Italy’s rate of new confirmed cases reached 650 per 100,000 people.