MOSCOW, March 8. /TASS/. Russia’s low-cost carrier Pobeda has canceled flights to Italy (Bergamo, Rome, Rimini, Pisa and Treviso) scheduled for March 11 through 31 after the Italian government imposed a virtual lockdown across some provinces, the airline said in a statement on Sunday.

"Low-cost airline Pobeda, the arm of the Aeroflot group, has suspended flights from Moscow to Bergamo, Rome, Rimini, Pisa and Treviso between March 11 and March 31, 2020 because of the lockdown imposed by the Italian government on Lombardy, Rimini, Treviso and other provinces," Pobeda said.

The carrier is offering passengers the option of claiming a full refund or rebooking with Aeroflot and rerouting flights to Milan, Rome, Venice and Bologna (and from those cities).

According to the latest reports, Italy has confirmed more than 5,800 cases of patients infected with the novel coronavirus and 233 deaths.

Before the lockdown, Pobeda had cut flights to Italy by 40% in March and April to match reduced demand. Also, Aeroflot and another Russian low-cost carrier Utair announced they had limited flights to Italy.

In the early hours of Sunday Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree imposing a lockdown across the entire northern region of Lombardy, and in some provinces in the northern regions of Emilia-Romagna, Le Marche, Veneto and Piedmont. Movement in and out of those areas is prohibited.