Italy virus cases soar again with 651 deaths in one day
ROME: Italy’s world-topping death toll from the coronavirus pandemic approached 5,500 on Sunday after the Mediterranean country reported another 651 deaths.
The latest daily toll was smaller than Saturday’s record 793 fatalities but still the secondhighest registered during Italy’s month-long crisis. There were 651 deaths in 24 hours.
The number of new infections rose by 10.4% to 59,138. Italy’s death toll now stands at 5,476.
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in the northern region of Lombardy, which has borne the brunt of Italy’s contagion, has risen by around 360 in a day to more than 3,450, a source told Reuters on Sunday.
The number of cases in the region, which includes Italy’s financial capital Milan, has increased by around 2,590 to more than 28,370. However, a number of results were still awaiting confirmation and it was not clear if they would be added later.
Sunday’s figures represented an improvement on Saturday, when the death toll in the region rose by 546 and new cases increased by 3,251.
The national death toll was due to be released later on Sunday. The tally stood at 4,825 on Saturday - the highest in the world.
Italy recorded a jump in deaths from coronavirus of almost 800 on Saturday, Rome ordered that all businesses must close until April 3. “It is the most difficult crisis in our post-war period,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a video posted on Facebook, adding “only production activities deemed vital for national production will be allowed”.
Supermarkets, pharmacies, postal and banking services will remain open and essential public services including transport will be ensured.
Italy on Thursday overtook China as the country worst hit by the highly contagious virus. On Saturday fatalities jumped by 793 to 4,825 in the largest one-day rise since the contagion emerged a month ago. Reported infections rose to 53,578 from 47,021, the civil protection agency said. There were 2,857 people in intensive care, up from 2,655.