Eight Sri Lankan nationals living in Italy have been diagnosed with Coronavirus and are receiving treatment, according to the Sri Lankan Consulate in Rome. 

Meanwhile there have also been reports that a Sri Lankan suspected of contracting the virus had died in Italy.

However, a spokesman for the Sri Lankan Consulate said that it cannot be confirmed as to whether the individual had actually died from Coronavirus until the medical reports are released. 

The consulate said that the 8 Sri Lankans who had tested positive for Covid-19 in Italy are currently hospitalized and are being treated.

It further said that around 40-50 Sri Lankans in Italy are currently in self isolation. 

According to foreign media reports, the death toll in Italy has climbed to 6,820 after 743 died in the last 24 hours. 

A total of 69,176 have been infected. Of them, 8,326 have recovered after treatment. 

Similarly, the condition of 3,393 among 54,030 currently undergoing treatment is critical.

Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAA), on the instructions of the Department of Health,  had imposed a temporary ban on all travel beginning from Iran, Italy, and South Korea to Sri Lanka effective from 14.03.2020,  for two weeks ending on 28.03.2020.

Further, with effective from 15th March this ban was extended to all travel beginning from France, Spain, Germany Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden, and Austria to Sri Lanka for two weeks ending on 29th March 2020.

With the coronavirus going pandemic across the world, the European continent has been the worst hit.