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Italy's virus toll tops 4,000 after new one-day record

Dmitry ZAKS
,
AFP•March 20, 2020

Italy is notching up one grim record after the next as the world's new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic (AFP Photo/Piero Cruciatti)

Italy is one of the hardest-hit nations in the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 4,000 deaths (AFP Photo/Piero Cruciatti)

Cumulative coronavirus infections in Italy per region, as of March 20 (AFP Photo/Gillian HANDYSIDE)

Italy is notching up one grim record after the next as the world's new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic

Italy is notching up one grim record after the next as the world's new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic (AFP Photo/Piero Cruciatti)


Rome (AFP) - Italy reported a record 627 new coronavirus deaths Friday and saw its world-topping toll surpass 4,000, despite government efforts to stem the pandemic's spread.

The Mediterranean country's daily rate of fatalities is now higher than that officially reported by China at the peak of its outbreak around Wuhan's Hubei province.

But Matteo Bassetti of Italy's prestigious San Martino clinic in Genoa said the government probably had no idea how many people really had the new disease.

"There are so many people walking around who have the virus and who are at risk of infecting others," Bassetti told Italy's AGI news agency.


"The 40,000 cases we are talking about (in Italy) could actually be 100 times higher."

- Worse than Wuhan? -

Italy is rapidly notching up one grim record after the next as it becomes the new global epicentre of COVID-19.

In less than four weeks, it has recorded more deaths than China officially registered since reporting its first infection to the World Health Organization in late December.

Italy has seen more than 1,500 deaths from COVID-19 in the past three days alone.

Italy's total number of deaths now stands at 4,032.

Infections rose Friday by nearly 6,000 -- another international record -- to 47,021.

The nation of 60 million accounted for around 36.2 percent of the world's coronavirus deaths at 1900 GMT.

The Italian government already plans to extend a ban on public gatherings and the shutdown of almost all businesses beyond a March 25 deadline.

But worried regional leaders are pushing the national government to adopt even tougher restrictions, such as a ban on outdoor exercise and the closure of all stores on Sundays.

Some city authorities are taking matters into their own hands.

Milan on Friday deployed more than 100 soldiers to help police the streets and ensure no one is found outdoors without a legitimate reason, such as buying food.

- Old and sick -

The government took the additional step Friday of closing all parks. Joggers are being encouraged to run around the block and stay close to their homes.

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