British low-cost airline easyJet said it expects to reduce its flights to northern Italy over the next three and a half weeks, after Italian authorities ordered a virtual lockdown of the area, Reuters reports.

The number of people to have died from the coronavirus in the country has shot up by 133 in a day to 366, officials said, according to the BBC.

The total number of infections leapt 25% to 7,375 from 5,883, according to the Civil Protection agency.

The restrictions on travel in the affected areas in northern Italy are part of a government plan to try to contain the rapid spread of coronavirus there.

EasyJet said it would review its flying programme to the airports in the area, Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Venice and Verona until 3 April, with cancellations expected.

The jump in figures comes as millions adapt to radical measures introduced on Sunday in an attempt to contain the outbreak.

Up to 16 million people in Lombardy and 14 provinces need special permission to travel under new quarantine rules.