Italy tops 9,000 coronavirus deaths, overtakes China in cases
28 March, 2020
Italy recorded 919 deaths from coronavirus on Friday (Mar 27), the best daily toll anywhere in the world, as the number of confirmed cases eclipsed the total in China where in fact the virus first emerged.
Italy was the first Western country to introduce swingeing restrictions on movement after uncovering the outbreak five weeks ago. It has tightened them week by week, banning all non-essential activities until at least next Friday.
Yet only america has recorded more cases, while Italy has suffered almost doubly many deaths as any other nation.
"We haven't reached the peak and we haven't passed it," the principle of the Superior Health Institute, Silvio Brusaferro, told reporters prior to the data was released.
Nonetheless, he said there have been "signs of a slowdown" in the amounts of infections, which slipped from the prior 24-hour period.
"When the descent begins, how steep it really is will depend on our behaviour," Brusaferro said.
Franco Locatelli, head of the council advising the government on health matters, said the existing restrictions on movement were likely to be extended beyond the hoped-for end date of Apr 3:
"If I had to decide using today's data, I really believe it is inevitable these measures will be prolonged."
The amount of confirmed cases rose by 5,959 on Friday to 86,498, taking Italy past China, with the death toll at 9,134.
SCHOOL SHUTDOWN EXTENDED
Schools and universities were among the first places to be turn off, closing nationwide on Mar 5. Education Minister Lucia Azzolina said the closure would have to be extended past Apr 3.
"Our aim is to make sure that students return to school only once we are completely sure it is safe," she told the state broadcaster RAI.
The northern region of Lombardy, centred on the financial capital Milan, has accounted for 43 % of Italy's known cases and 59% of deaths.
Once again, the city of Bergamo saw the most new cases on Friday - 602 - with Milan in second place with 547. However, the region as a whole saw hook dip.
"The infection rate is not growing and I believe it is going to fall," said Lombardy Governor Attilio Fontana.
He said testing had been expanded, with people now needing to present only a single coronavirus symptom to be swabbed, rather than at least two.
Within an open letter, more than 300 doctors and scientists called on the government to let them use their own laboratories to speed up testing and identify the mild and asymptomatic cases that are going undetected.
At present, just a few, consultant labs are checking swabs, severely restricting the quantity of tests and information the true extent of the epidemic.
"In Italy there can be an extraordinary community of researchers who could contribute immediately and very considerably and at zero cost to the present emergency situation," they said.
There is no immediate response from medical Ministry.
The national federation of doctors, surgeons and orthodontists said on Friday that 46 of their colleagues had died up to now, most of them family doctors in northern towns and cities.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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