Coronavirus: Vatican City reports its first case

The first case of the deadly coronavirus has been reported in the Vatican City just days after the Pope tested negative for the bug.

Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni confirmed the case involves a patient in its health services which tested positive on Thursday.

He did not reveal whether the patient is an employee at the Vatican, but said services in Vatican clinics were suspended to deep clean the areas.

It means more than 3,800 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Italy – with 148 deaths making it the worst-hit European country,

Most Vatican employees who use its health services live in Italy on the other side of the border with the 108-acre city state.