Italian officials on Saturday reported fewer new deaths caused by the novel coronavirus than any other date since the outbreak began to ravage the country over two months earlier.
Protezione Civile, Italy’s civil protection agency, said that 153 people died on Saturday within the country from COVID-19, the contagious disease caused by the coronavirus.
Down from 242 the day before, COVID-19’s latest daily death toll is the lowest it has been in Italy since March 9.
The number of new COVID-19 infections confirmed within the country increased, meanwhile, from 789 on Friday to 875 on Saturday, according to the government agency.
Discovered last year in Wuhan, China, the World Heath Organization said it first became aware of the novel coronavirus on New Year’s Eve upon being notified by Chinese officials.
Italy subsequently became an early COVID-19 hotspot beginning in March shortly before cases of the disease were reported in the U.S. and eventually most everywhere else.
The number of new coronavirus-related deaths reported in Italy each day quickly went from a few dozen in early March, to hundreds throughout most of the month and all of April.
More than 31,000 people have died in Italy from COVID-19 since the outbreak began, according to Protezione Civile. Worldwide, the latest death toll is about ten times that amount.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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