Travel Canada has issued an advisory urging Canadians to “avoid non-essential travel” to northern Italy due to the spread of the virus.

Anti-Semitic incidents have been on the rise in Italy, as far-right political groups, including those with neo-fascist roots, gain traction in the country.

Unlike other natural disasters, like, say, an earthquake that leaves images of collapsed bell towers and fallen walls, fresh damage from the Venice floods is so far not visible to the naked eye.

The latest surge comes at a particularly inopportune time for the city as it's still reeling from the 1.87-meter-high tide on Nov. 12, which was the highest in more than 50 years.

The system of movable underwater barriers, dubbed Moses, has been beset by corruption, cost overruns and delays.

The historic flooding has sharpened calls to create an administration that recognizes the uniqueness of Venice.

Tourists with scheduled departures rushed to grab the last water taxis to get to the mainland Sunday before service was interrupted in anticipation of the high tide.

By late Saturday morning, water was rising again in St. Mark’s Square and the forecast for Sunday was worse. The tide was expected to peak at 1.15 meters above sea level on Saturday at noon.

The city was lauded for its dense metropolitan centre and lush natural beauty, and but was edged out by global powerhouses Paris, New York, Venice and London.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the government would be acting quickly to allocate funds to Venice following near-historic flooding.