COVID-19: Italy reports 368 new deaths in 24 hours

ROME (ITALY) — Italy on Sunday reported 368 new deaths due to the novel Coronavirus as the country’s death toll mounted to 1,809 while the number of confirmed cases increased to 24,747, said the nation’s civil protection authority.

In a press conference on Sunday, Civil Protection Department chief Angelo Borrelli said that Italy has recorded 3,590 new cases of the COVID-19 virus in the past 24 hours.

The Italian officials said that northern Lombardy region around Milan remains the worst-affected area of the country and has become the epicentre of the virus in Europe.

However, the most number of deaths were recorded in the Lazio region on Sunday that includes the Italian capital Rome. According to reports, 16 deaths were recorded in the region on Sunday.

Meanwhile, according to Italy’s civil protection department, the outbreak is showing signs of easing in the 11 towns in the north which were the first to be put under quarantine last month. But authorities are worried that a new wave of cases could follow the events of the last weekend, when crowds of visitors descended on beaches and ski resorts in the north despite the isolation measures.

In the latest of several such cases, police in Rome said on Saturday morning that they had seized a batch of home-made face masks which contravened product standards. A further 700 masks for sale at inflated prices were also confiscated.

But the crisis is also bringing out examples of social solidarity, with many Italians taking to their balconies on Friday night to sing in unison and raise morale.

Italians are being encouraged to repeat the initiative on Saturday evening and at midday, some could be seen responding to another call on social media to applaud at their windows in appreciation of health workers fighting the disease.

For its part, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere will be ringing its bells at 8 PM, along with all the other churches in the quarter, “in an expression of affinity, solidarity and prayer” with all those affected by the virus.