Austria suspends train traffic to and from Italy over coronavirus

Austria suspended all train traffic to and from Italy on Sunday after being informed that two passengers were presenting symptoms of the novel coronavirus.

Austria's Interior Ministry said that it had stopped a train travelling from the Italian city of Venice before it could cross the border after being informed by Italy's railway company that two people on board had a fever.

However, just before midnight Austria's Federal Railways announced on Twitter the ban had been lifted after the passengers tested negative for the new strain of coronavirus.

It comes after three people in Venice had died from the disease. All were over the age of 80.

Italy has reported a surge of cases from the virus over the weekend with 152 confirmed cases — the largest number outside China.

The majority of them were reported in Lombardy and Veneto leading Italian authorities to cancel the remainder of the famous Venice carnival and football matches and to shut down museums and schools.

Austria's Interior Minister Karl Nehammer had earlier in the day told his compatriots that the authorities "take the situation in Italy very seriously and are in close coordination with the Italian authorities through our liaison officer in Italy"

"There is no need to panic in Austria, Austria is well prepared," he added.

Some 181 people in Austria have been tested for the disease, all of them negative, the ministry said.