Coronavirus deaths in Italy surge to 366 as emergency measures come into force
The number of coronavirus deaths jumped by a record 133 in the past 24 hours, while 622 patients have recovered, health officials stated on Sunday. Here's the latest news.
The death toll from the outbreak of coronavirus in Italy rose to 366 on Sunday, shooting up from 233 on Saturday.
The number of infections also rose by a single-day record of 1,492 on Sunday to hit a total of 7,375, the Civil Protection Agency stated.
This figure is a total number of cases since the outbreak began in Italy more than two weeks ago, and includes the fatalities as well as patients who have now recovered.
The country now has the most deaths of any country outside China, and the second-most COVID-19 infections in the world, after the number of cases rose by a single-day record of 1,492 to 7,375.
Civil Protection Agency head Angelo Borrelli told a news conference that of those originally infected, 622 had fully recovered.
This means there are currently 6,387 active cases in Italy.
Some two thirds of all of those currently infected have been hospitalised, authorities said.
#coronavirus: aggiornamento 8 marzo, ore 18
7.375 casi riportati dalla Protezione Civile.
- 4.207 (57%) in ospedale, di cui 650 in terapia intensiva (399 in Lombardia)
- Tasso di letalità: 5%
"ciambella" sovrastima gravità #COVID19 perchè tamponi solo su soggetti sintomatici pic.twitter.com/N5DBYwVmor
— Nino Cartabellotta (@Cartabellotta) March 8, 2020
Borrelli said Italy was ordering 22 million surgical masks to help stop the spread.
Italy has recorded the most deaths of any country outside China and the second-most COVID-19 infections in the world. The majority of the deaths were in the Lombardy region in northern Italy, the civil protection agency said.
While Italy's coronavirus fatality rate is estimated at around 3.8 percent of confirmed cases, experts warn there may be an unknown number of undetected cases.
All of Italy's 20 regions are affected as of Thursday, with the data showing the virus had reached the Aosta Valley on the French border.
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The majority of the deaths were in the Lombardy region in northern Italy, the civil protection agency said.
The northern Lombardy region around Milan had started "experiencing difficulties with the (number of) beds available in hospitals", officials said.
"We have beds available in other regions to help Lombardy," Borrelli told reporters.
Italy is ordering 22 million surgical masks to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus, the civil protection agency said.
Over 15 million people were meanwhile adjusting to quarantine measures after the government effectively shut whole swathes of the north, beginning with the Lombardy region.
The Italian government signed an emergency decree early on Sunday morning placing the entire region of Lombardy, including Milan, as well as Venice, Padua, Parma, Rimini and other parts of northern Italy under emergency quarantine measures for nearly a month.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stated in a press conference held in the early hours of Sunday morning that he had signed off on plans to strictly limit movement in and out of the affected areas.
New rules aimed at controlling the spread of the virus are in place until April 3.
Photo: AFP
According to the WHO, around 80 percent of people who contract the new coronavirus recover without needing special treatment.
Around one out of every six people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing.
Some 3.4 percent of cases are fatal, according to the latest WHO figures.
Older people and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness.
Find all The Local's coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy here.
READ ALSO: The everyday precautions to take against coronavirus if you're in Italy
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The death toll from the outbreak of coronavirus in Italy rose to 366 on Sunday, shooting up from 233 on Saturday.
#coronavirus: aggiornamento 8 marzo, ore 18
— Nino Cartabellotta (@Cartabellotta) March 8, 2020
7.375 casi riportati dalla Protezione Civile.
- 4.207 (57%) in ospedale, di cui 650 in terapia intensiva (399 in Lombardia)
- Tasso di letalità: 5%
"ciambella" sovrastima gravità #COVID19 perchè tamponi solo su soggetti sintomatici pic.twitter.com/N5DBYwVmor
Over 15 million people were meanwhile adjusting to quarantine measures after the government effectively shut whole swathes of the north, beginning with the Lombardy region.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stated in a press conference held in the early hours of Sunday morning that he had signed off on plans to strictly limit movement in and out of the affected areas.
New rules aimed at controlling the spread of the virus are in place until April 3.
Photo: AFP
READ ALSO: The everyday precautions to take against coronavirus if you're in Italy
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