ROME, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Under normal circumstances, the Republic of San Marino is a tranquil landlocked country. Completely surrounded by Italian territory, it boasts a healthy, vibrant economy built on tourism and financial services.

Like most of the world, San Marino's 33,000 citizens are in a pitched battle against the coronavirus pandemic now.

As of Saturday, San Marino had a total of 151 infections, 127 of them active cases. The country has suffered a total of 20 deaths from the pandemic.

Gabriele Rinaldi, director of the Health Authority of the San Marino State Secretariat for Health and Social Security, said that San Marino is following all of the protocols recommended by the World Health Organization, including strict rules against spread in the streets, and public gatherings have been prohibited for weeks. Residents are being tested for the virus as often as possible.

"The situation is tragic but we are handling it," Rinaldi said. "We have not had to ask Italy for help and our state hospital is doing everything it should be doing."

Paolo Rondelli, a member of San Marino's 60-member parliament, said the quarantine has had a dramatic impact on the tiny nation.

"The country has completely shut down as we work hard to curb the spread of the coronavirus among our citizens," Rondelli told Xinhua. "We just had a special parliamentary work session to address the situation and as we approached in small groups, we were the only people in the streets. Our footsteps echoed. It was a very strange feeling." Enditem

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