BARCELONA/MILAN -- Europe's major car and parts makers rushed on Wednesday to close factories and cut output in Italy and considered sending workers home elsewhere, in the first signs that coronavirus is disrupting the region's struggling automotive industry.
Fiat Chrysler said it was temporarily halting operations at some of its Italian factories and would reduce production in response to Europe's largest coronavirus outbreak.
Italy all but put a halt to normal life, paring the economy down to just essential services in a desperate bid to stem the advance of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ordered all shops in the country to close except for grocery stores, pharmacies and a few others until March 25. Public transportation as well as financial and postal services will continue, but the country’s normally vibrant restaurants, cafes and bars will be shut.
Factories can continue operating, but only with “precautions,” the premier said in a televised address on Wednesday evening, adding that the government recommends non-critical facilities be shut.