Rome could face 2nd lockdown after COVID-19 cases spike

Rome could be forced into a second lockdown after the Italian region of Lazio, which includes the capital city, witnessed a resurgence of coronavirus cases, it was reported.

Authorities in the Lazio warned on Wednesday that restrictions to curb the spread of the virus may be reintroduced if cases continued to increase in the region, reports the Metro newspaper.

There were 17 new confirmed cases on Sunday, with 10 of those said to have been recorded among people returning to the country from overseas.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Lazio's health commissioner Alessio D'Amato said: "I appeal for the use of masks, otherwise, we'll have to close down again. We can't turn back and waste all the efforts done until now."

Italy, one of the hardest hit countries in Europe, has so far reported a total of 245,032 COVID-19 cases, with 35,082 deaths.