Italy suspends all flights with China amid concerns over coronavirus.

Italian premier Giuseppe Conte announced today that two cases of coronavirus have been detected in Rome, in what are Italy's first confirmed cases of the deadly virus.

Two Chinese tourists, from the coronavirus epicentre Wuhan, have reportedly been in Italy for 10 days, landing in Milan on 23 January before arriving in Rome a few days ago.

The tourists were hospitalised on 30 January after falling ill while staying at Hotel Palatino in the capital's central Monti district near the Colosseum.

Conte stressed that there was no reason to "create social alarm or panic" over the news, adding: "We have already prepared all the precautionary measures to isolate these two cases."

Conte also announced that Italy has suspended all flights to and from China. The premier is convening an emergency meeting with Italy's council of ministers on 31 January to consider “further measures.”

The two Chinese tourists are being treated at Rome's Spallanzani hospital, a specialist centre for infectious diseases, where they are being kept in isolation but said to be in "good condition".

Health authorities are now attempting to retrace the tourists' travels in Italy, according to Italy's health minister Roberto Speranza, who added: "The situation is serious, but absolutely under control."

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global emergency as the number of cases of coronavirus worldwide passes 8,000 - most of them in China - with more than 170 deaths.