Pope's mass livestreamed from the Vatican

Pope Francis private daily mass from his residence inside the Vatican was livestreamed on Tuesday for the second time since the pontiff decided not to hold regular mass in public. The Pope's decision was to help prevent crowds gathering as a precaution against the spread of the new strain of virus.

His regular livestreamed mass is thought to be an effort to be closer to those suffering from the new virus epidemic.

"Let's continue to pray together for the sick people, the health workers, so many people that are suffering from this epidemic" said the pontiff at the beginning of the mass celebrated from the Casa Santa Marta residence.

The livestream of the private morning liturgy will continue every day, according to the Vatican.

Italy expanded its travel ban on Monday, extending it to the entire country, effectively placing it on lockdown.

All but the most essential travel has been halted, and social gatherings have been banned, in an attempt to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.

The announcement by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte came as the country registered 1,807 more confirmed cases as of Monday evening, bringing Italy's total to 9,172.

The number of dead in Italy also increased by 97 to 463 - most of them elderly with previous ailments.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.

According to the World  Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.