The latest data from the Serbian Health Ministry confirmed that two new cases of coronavirus infection were registered in the country on Monday afternoon, bring a total number of people positive to the virus to four in Serbia.

The first case of coronavirus in Serbia was registered on March 6 in the north of the country, and a total of 108 people have been tested for the virus to date.

Elsewhere in the region, Slovenian Health Minister confirmed on Monday evening that the number of cases in the country has risen to 25, while in Bosnia, the authorities reported the first case in the Federation entity on Monday, bringing the total number of those infected to five.

Croatia has confirmed only 13 cases of infection so far – five in Rijeka, four in Varazdin, three in Zagreb, and one discovered on Monday in the Istrian city of Pula. However, local authorities said on Monday that in spite of the low count, they would do everything in their power to contain the spread of the disease, after Italy had announced the a shutdown in several northern regions with 16 million people. The health authorities called on Monday for all public gatherings expecting more than a thousand people to be postponed or cancelled, and announced a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving into the country from outbreak's hotspots.

Since then, the Italian government has decided to extend the restrictions nationwide, placing all of its 60 million residents into lockdown in an unprecedented move to try and control the spread of the disease in the EU country worst-hit by the virus. So far, Italy has reported nearly 9,200 cases and 463 deaths.