ROME, Apr 19 (NNN-XINHUA) – A further 482 people died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours in Italy, raising the country’s death toll to 23,227.
The total number of confirmed cases — combining active infections, fatalities and recoveries — rose to 175,925, an increase of 3,491 against Friday, according to fresh figures from Italy’s Civil Protection Department.
Also, there were 2,200 additional recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the total recoveries to 44,927, since the pandemic first broke out in the northern Lombardy region on Feb 21.
Of the total 107,771 active infections, 2,733 patients are in intensive care, down by 79 compared to the previous day; another 25,007 are hospitalised in normal wards, down by 779; and 80,031 (or 74 percent) are isolated at home, because of asymptomatic or light symptoms.
“We are experiencing a large-scale tragedy (and) we have not defeated it yet — these are the hard facts,” Domenico Arcuri, the Italian government’s special commissioner for the COVID-19 emergency, said, at Saturday’s press conference.
To prevent this tragedy from repeating after the end of the nationwide lockdown, Arcuri said, “We must continue to act with caution and prudence we have learned over the past months.”
The lock-down that went into effect on Mar 10 will continue until May 3, which will be followed by a so-called “Phase Two,” involving “the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities,” the Italian government explained.
