Italy, the first nation in Europe to be affected so badly by coronavirus has claimed 1,016 lives amid a total number 15,113 infections officials say,
Italy, the first nation in Europe to be affected so badly by coronavirus has claimed 1,016 lives amid a total number 15,113 infections officials say, with 188 people dead in 24 hours. Two weeks after the first 10 towns in northern Italy were declared a “red zone” and put under lockdown, more towns have been put on lockdown across the country.
Civil protection officials say 1,258 have recovered, although the number of cases has gone up by 2,651 since Wednesday. Italy is the world’s worst-hit country after China. As the outbreak in China begins to ease, the government in Beijing is sending Italy teams of specialist doctors and supplies.
“We need oxygen units, and we have started production with factories that produce them or others that can adapt to start producing them. We’re in contact with countries across the world, many of them are willing to supply us with equipment,” said the Foreign Minister, Luigi Di MaioMr Di Maio.”
Countries across the world have grounded flights to Italy or banned entry to Italians or anyone travelling from Italy. Austria and Slovenia are placing restrictions on their borders with Italy. Italian nationals living in other countries have also reported individual acts of hostility towards them, deplored by the foreign minister as “unacceptable discrimination”, prompting “interventions” from his government.
A handful of politicians have been infected with the virus or are in preventative self-isolation, including the leader of the Democratic Party, part of the governing coalition.
Italy is now facing its biggest crisis since World War Two. The government has pledged to spend €25bn ($28bn; £22bn) to tackle it – three times more than it estimated it would need just a week ago. The economy is now expected to slide into deep recession.
