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Italy recorded its most deaths from the coronavirus in a single day, more proof it is now the hardest-hit place on earth

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Medical personnel work at a hospital in Brescia, Northern Italy, on Tuesday.
Medical personnel work at a hospital in Brescia, Northern Italy, on Tuesday.

Claudio Furlan/LaPresse via AP

Italy recorded 168 new deaths of the coronavirus on Tuesday night — its highest death toll in a single day from the coronavirus — further confirming that it is now the hardest-hit country in the world.

As of Wednesday morning, a total of 631 people are now dead, and 10,149 are infected. The leap in numbers means Italian fatalities are just over 14% of the global death toll, which stands at around 4,200. 

Its death toll and total number of cases are second only to mainland China, where the coronavirus broke out last December.

China, however, appears to be turning a corner with the disease, having recorded fewer and fewer new cases every day.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte put the entire country on lockdown on Tuesday, mandating a “stay at home” policy, closing large gatherings and cultural centers, banning all but essential travel, and limiting the opening hours of many shops and restaurants. 

Rome's Colosseum, which will be closed following the government's new prevention measures on public gatherings, is reflected in a puddle where a face mask was left, on March 8, 2020. Experts say masks do not necessarily curtail the spread of the virus.
Rome’s Colosseum, which will be closed following the government’s new prevention measures on public gatherings, is reflected in a puddle where a face mask was left, on March 8, 2020. Experts say masks do not necessarily curtail the spread of the virus.

Alfredo Falcone/LaPresse via AP

Despite these measures Italy’s medical system is under enormous pressure to handle the cases. Doctors have been working back-to-back shifts and are making agonizing decisions over who to prioritize for treatment — and are reportedly opting to favor the young and healthy over older patients.  

Italy detected its first three cases in late January.

Read the original article on Business Insider

source: yahoo.com