Italy on Wednesday closed all schools and universities until March 15 as the number of deaths from the new coronavirus in the country hit 107, AFP reported.

The Mediterranean country reported 28 more deaths on Wednesday, the highest single-day total to date. The nation of 60 million people has now recorded over 3,000 cases and only trails China in terms of total fatalities.

Other measures discussed by top ministers and reported by Italian media include what promises to be an unpopular plan to play all football matches without fans for a month.