The image shows that Italians strictly abide by the 'one meter rule' Covid-19

The Covid-19 epidemic is becoming a leading concern in the West, especially in Italy. As of today, March 16, the country has recorded a total of 1,809 nationwide deaths.

The Italian Civil Protection Agency earlier this morning released a statement saying the number of nCoV infections in the country was 24,747, an increase of 3,590 cases from the previous day. The number of deaths increased by 25%, from 1,441 to 1,809. Italy is currently the second largest outbreak in the world after mainland China and the largest in Europe.

On March 11, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called it the "darkest moment" of the country when the death toll of SARS-CoV-2 virus increased to nearly 1,000. Under the emergency situation, Italian authorities issued a new "one meter" rule in public places, and limited the maximum number of people that could go in one place, when the whole country was blockade due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Photos show that the Italian people strictly abide by the "one meter rule" to backfill "the enemy" Covid-19

Accordingly, when going to public places, people must stand at least 1 meter away from each other to avoid becoming infected or spreading the disease to others.

Strict measures in Italy require people to move only if they have a business reason, a health need, or an emergency. Public transport will still work, but Conte told reporters he wants as many people as possible at home. Those who want to go out need to fill out an application explaining why they did so and bring it with them. If they are found lying, they have to pay a fine or even face a prison sentence.

Supermarkets are always open to meet the rising demand of the people. Restaurants and pubs are only allowed to operate from 6 am to 6 pm, but diners must keep a minimum distance of 1m. Therefore, many restaurants and bars use tape to mark the 1m distance between tables.

Police throughout Italy also patrol cafes to make sure people keep their distance from each other and shops are closed at 6pm each day.

Deserted scene on the streets of Italy.

Massimo Leonardo, the manager of a market stall, said: "I've never seen anything like it."