The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has surged by 889, the Civil Protection Agency said today, the second highest daily tally since the epidemic emerged on 21 February.
Total fatalities in Italy have reached 10,023, by far the highest of any country in the world.
Italy’s largest daily toll was registered yesterday, when 919 people died.
Prior to that, there were 712 deaths on Thursday, 683 on Wednesday, 743 on Tuesday and 602 on Monday.
The total number of confirmed cases in Italy rose today to 92,472 from a previous 86,498.
Italy has the second highest number of cases, behind the United States. It surpassed China’s tally yesterday.
Meanwhile, France has reported 319 more coronavirus deaths, taking its death toll to 2,314, according to an official.
Spain’s coronavirus death toll rose by 832 cases overnight to 5,690, the health ministry said.
This marks a new high in the daily rise in fatalities.
The total number of those infected rose to 72,248 from 64,059 yesterday.
The Spanish parliament has voted to extend emergency measures – including the state of lockdown that has seen people confined to their homes except for essential trips for food, medicine and work – until 12 April.
“It is not easy to extend the state of emergency,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Parliament.
“I am convinced the only efficient option against the virus is social isolation.”
Although Spain’s latest figures showed a daily increase of more than 8,000 cases, the rate of new infections appears to be slowing, with officials saying the epidemic appeared to be nearing its peak.
Madrid remains the worst-hit region, with 2,757 deaths and 21,520 infections, leaving hospitals and mortuaries overwhelmed, and the regional authorities working to open a second temporary morgue in an unused public building near the airport to house the dead.
An initial site was opened last week at the ice skating rink at the Palacio de Hielo (Ice Palace) shopping centre.
With undertakers also overwhelmed, the government has authorised the army’s involvement in the collection and transport of bodies for the duration of the state of emergency.
Earlier today, Spain received a delivery of 1.2 million masks from China for health workers and those in the transport sector, the government said.
The delivery, which arrived at Madrid’s Barajas airport, includes some 387,000 surgical masks for healthcare personnel, 75,000 masks for the security forces and more than 725,000 for those in the transport sector, from bus drivers to port and airport staff as well as those working for the postal service.
As Italy enters its sixth week of restrictions, many are asking: why does its death rate seem so much higher than other countries?Experts say it’s down to a combination of factors, like the country’s large elderly population which is more susceptible to the virus, and the method of testing that’s not giving the full picture about infections.
Meanwhile, some experts have questioned whether Italy’s restrictions have gone far enough in halting the virus spread.China’s Wuhan city was the first to impose a sweeping lockdown on its 11 million citizens back in January, with all flights, trains and buses cancelled and highway entrances blocked.Now, more than two months later, officials in the pandemic epicentre are looking to ease those restrictions as new cases dry up. Italy meanwhile, is steadily ramping things up.Italians now face steep fines of up to 3000 euros ($5,435) for defying government orders of only going outside for essential items like food, Reuters reported.But Dr Giorgio Palu, former president of the European and Italian Society for Virology and a professor of virology and microbiology of the University of Padova, told CNN that the Italian measures are “not so forceful or strict like the Chinese ones”.”But this is the best you can do in a democracy,” he added, pointing to the draconian restrictions implemented by China’s communist state.That said, “some constitutional rights are taken from us”, Dr Palu said of Italians’ freedom.
“We can’t have public gatherings now.”But with the death toll continuing to rise, Italy’s restrictions don’t look like easing up any time soon.
