Italy’s COVID-19 death toll exceeds 20,000

Rome, April 14 (IANS) The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 20,465 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries so far to 159,516, according to latest data released by the country’s Civil Protection Department.

Addressing a televised press conference on Monday, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli explained that there were 566 new fatalities, compared with 431 registered on Sunday, reported Xinhua news agency.

Active infections increased by 1,363 from Sunday to a tally of 103,616.

Meanwhile, there were 1,224 new recoveries, bringing the total of recoveries to 35,435 since the pandemic broke out in the northern regions on February 21.

Of those infected, 28,023 people are currently hospitalized, 176 more from the previous day; 3,260 are in intensive care, down by 83; and 72,333, or about 70 per cent, are isolated at home.

It was the tenth consecutive day that the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units showed a decreasing trend, according to Borrelli.

–IANS

rt/