Coronavirus: Italy Records Over 900 Deaths In 24 Hours

Italy has recorded 969 new coronavirus deaths, its highest daily figure in the outbreak so far.

It means 9,134 people have now died from the virus in the country.

Earlier World Health Organization chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a “chronic global shortage” of protective equipment was one of the “most urgent threats” to the ability to save lives.

Italy is the worst-affected in Europe. Almost everything has been closed and people told to stay at home.

Earlier on Friday, authorities warned that restrictions were likely to be extended beyond 3 April.

The hardest hit northern region of Lombardy saw a sharp increase in deaths from Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, following a decline on Thursday that had raised hopes the outbreak there could have peaked.

Friday’s number also included 50 deaths recorded on the previous day in the north-western Piedmont region, but which were not submitted in time for Thursday’s update.

There were 4,401 new confirmed cases recorded, slightly lower than Thursday’s figure but still well up on the numbers from earlier in the week.

It was gathered that progress in tackling the outbreak is proving slow and uneven.

Fears are also growing of an increase in cases in the poorer south of the country.

On Thursday, President of the Campania region around Naples,Vincenzo De Luca, said the central government had not provided promised ventilators and other life-saving equipment.

“At this point there is the real prospect that Lombardy’s tragedy is about to become the south’s tragedy,” he said.

The same day Prime Minister Antonio Conte said all of Europe would be hit by a severe recession. He promised a second stimulus package for Italy worth at least €25bn (£23bn; $27bn).