Italy sees just 2,256 new coronavirus cases – their lowest level in over a month – as total number of people infected FALLS for first time since pandemic began
- Scientists want to see how long people can stay confined to their home
- Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will announce set of social guidelines this week
- Italy went into progressively more restrictive lockdown over first half of March
- Citizens not allowed to walk more than 650 feet from home without good reason
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
The number of new coronavirus cases recorded by Italy sharply dropped today with 2,256 confirmed – as the number of people currently infected fell for the first time since the pandemic began.
The country, which has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases after the US, also reported 454 deaths due to the virus, marking a slight increase on yesterday’s 433.
Italy has now recorded 24,114 deaths in total, with 181,228 cases of the deadly virus confirmed across the nation compared to 178,972 on Sunday.
Data released by the Civil Protection Agency also revealed the number of current infections has fallen for the first time since the outbreak began – with 20 less recorded today compared to Sunday.
There are currently 108,237 active cases of Covid-19 in Italy, compared to 108,257 reported yesterday.
Italian scientists want the government to conduct psychological tests on a sample of the population to determine how long people can stay confined to their homes, a report said Monday
The number of patients recovered climbed to 48,877 today against 47,055 a day earlier, with 2,573 said to be in intensive care with the virus against 2,635 on Sunday.
Lombardy remains the epicentre of the outbreak, where more than half of the nation’s fatalities have been recorded – a total of 12,376.
The fall in new cases comes as Italian scientists asked the government to conduct psychological tests on a sample of the population to determine how long people can stay confined to their homes.
Scientists want to understand how long Italians ‘are able to endure a lockdown’ in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report seen by Corriere della Sera.
The Corriere della Sera newspaper said scientists want to understand how long Italians ‘are able to endure a lockdown’ in the face of the coronavirus pandemic
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will announce a new set of social guidelines this week that could include the tests, the report said.
Italy entered into a progressively more restrictive lockdown over the first half of March that has since been replicated by most European nations.
The Mediterranean country’s 60 million citizens have been barred from walking more than 200 metres (650 feet) from their homes without a significant reason.
Reports of domestic abuse have surged and scientists worry about the impact of such isolation on the elderly and the more vulnerable.
Conte’s government is now debating how it can lift the stay-at-home order and reopen businesses while there is still no coronavirus cure or vaccine.
Italy’s 60 million citizens have been barred from walking more than 200 metres (650 feet) from their homes without a significant reason
On Saturday, Italy 12 other countries in calling for greater global cooperation to lessen the economic impact of the pandemic.
‘It is vital that we work together to save lives and livelihoods,’ they said.
The group, which also includes Britain, France, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, South Korea, Singapore and Turkey, said it was committed to ‘work with all countries to coordinate on public health, travel, trade, economic and financial measures in order to minimise disruptions and recover stronger’.
The countries emphasised the need to maintain ‘air, land and marine transportation links’ to ensure the continued flow of goods including medical equipment and aid, and the return home of travellers.