Anyone living in Lombardy and fourteen other central and Northern provinces will need special permission to travel.
Reports say Milan and Venice are both affected.
Prime Minister GIUSEPPE CONTE also announced the closure of schools, gyms, museums, nightclubs and other venues across the whole country.
The measures are expected to last until 3rd of April.
Italy has seen the largest number of coronavirus infections in Europe, with the number of confirmed cases jumping by more than one thousand two hundred to over five thousand as at yesterday.
The strict new quarantine measures affect a quarter of the Italian population and centre on the rich northern part of the country that powers its economy.
The death toll in Italy has passed two hundred and thirty with officials reporting more than thirty six deaths in twenty four hours.
Leave feedback about this