The Japanese government is set to deny entry to visitors from the northern area of Italy which is the latest hot spot in the coronavirus crisis.

The entry ban will cover five regions including hardest-hit Lombardy and the Republic of San Marino.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says foreigners coming from northern Italy, as well as some other areas where cases of the new coronavirus are surging, will be denied entry into Japan from Wednesday.

The number of confirmed infections and deaths in Italy are now second to China. On Tuesday, Italy's government extended a lockdown from the northern part of the country to the entire nation.

Japan is set to deny entry to visitors from northern parts of Italy. The Italian areas have been virtually locked down, amid efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The Japanese government is preparing to add northern areas of Italy to the coronavirus travel ban list. People visiting from regions on the list have been barred from entering Japan.