Italy registers a spike in new Covid-19 cases & fatalities with death toll soaring to 18,000+

ITALY has registered a spike in both the number of new coronavirus (Covid-19) cases and deaths. The number of fatalities from the disease increased by 610 on Thursday, compared to 542 on Wednesday, taking the country’s total death toll to 18,279.

The country also registered a jump in the number of new Covid-19 cases – 4,204 from 3,836 on Wednesday. The total number of people diagnosed with the disease in Italy rose to 143,626 from 139,422, compared to the day before.

However, despite the rise in new coronavirus cases and deaths, the Italian health authorities confirmed a decline in the number of people in intensive care, which has dropped from 3,693 on Wednesday to 3,605 on Thursday. The country has also reported that 28,470 Covid-19 diagnosed patients have recovered from the disease.

As the numbers remain high, the government has repeatedly warned the public “not to let their guard down” and to “continue to follow quarantine rules.” To prevent Italians from flouting the country’s lockdown measures, police in Italy have tightened controls over the Easter weekend, by increasing the number of roadblocks in place and enforcing rules to prevent people from visiting relatives out of town or spending the holiday at a second home.