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In pictures: Streets of Milan deserted as residents stay indoors over coronavirus fears

As cases of coronavirus in Italy reach 400, residents have started to stay indoors over fears they will catch the illness.

Stark pictures from Milan, where tourists and locals usually mix in their thousands, instead show streets that are deserted.

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Flights to the area are already affected by the outbreak, with British Airways cancelling dozens of trips to the fashion and financial hub in the north of Italy.

Italy has sought to rally international support for its coronavirus containment efforts as the UN's health agency urged an increased response.

Read more: Workers should use coronavirus self-isolation as sick days, says Government

Italian premier Giuseppe Conte's government appealed to European neighbours for cooperation, not isolation and discrimination.

Italy has been struggling to contain the rapidly spreading outbreak that made it the country with more coronavirus cases outside Asia than anywhere else.

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Hard-hit Lombardy, where 10 towns are on army-guarded lockdowns, still had the most cases with 288 - four of them children.

But Veneto saw a spike of 28 cases overnight, bringing its total to 71.