Italy winning battle against COVID-19 as daily deaths decline

Over the past 24 hours, Italy recorded 431 coronavirus-related fatalities, the lowest daily death toll in three weeks, officials said on Sunday as the country celebrated a subdued Easter holiday.

In total, 19,899 people have died in connection with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, the Civil Protection Agency in Rome said.

The U.S. on Saturday surpassed Italy as the country with the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths.

The number of infected in Europe’s worst-hit nation rose to 156,363, a moderate increase of a little more than 4,000 cases, a rise that one expert partially ascribed to increased testing.

Some 34,000 people have recovered. According to agency chief Angelo Borrelli the pressure on intensive care units was lessening.

Officials in the hard-hit Lombardy region in northern Italy remained concerned, saying the situation had not yet stabilised.

The region has reported the majority of fatalities – more than 10,900.

Italian police have ramped up their enforcement of the country’s coronavirus lockdown over the Easter weekend, with police checking hundreds of thousands of people.

Italy’s 60 million citizens are allowed to leave their home only for specific reasons, for example to go to work, visit the doctor or go shopping.

Walking or jogging is only permitted close to home, and people need to carry certificates explaining why they are out.

The measures were introduced on March 10 and will remain in place until at least May 3.