[Getty/Kyodo]

TOKYO - Japan is planning to impose an entry ban on people coming from parts of northern Italy that have been hit hard by the new coronavirus, government sources said Monday.

The government has implemented a similar entry ban on people arriving from virus-hit parts of China, Iran and South Korea in an attempt to prevent further spread of the coronavirus in Japan.

According to the sources, the government is considering applying the entry ban to travelers from abroad who have visited northern Italy within 14 days of seeking to enter Japan.

The government is expected to approve the measure at a task force meeting on Tuesday.

In a related move, Japan's Foreign Ministry said it has raised its travel warning level to San Marino, urging Japanese citizens not to visit the area.

Italy on Monday reported an updated total of 9,172 cases of the coronavirus, with the death toll increasing by 97 from the previous day to 463. In terms of both infection cases and deaths, Italy's figures have become the largest after mainland China.