Italy recorded 993 deaths linked to Covid in 24 hours, a dramatic figure exceeding the record of 969 deaths dating from March 27, according to the latest official report published Thursday, December 3, also marked by a drop in positive cases.
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Lombardy (north), the most affected, alone has 347 dead, according to figures published by the Ministry of Health.
In addition 23,225 new cases were registered, against 20,709 new cases and 684 deaths on Wednesday.
These worrying figures must be qualified by the parallel drop in the number of positive cases, which stand at 759,982 (-1248 in 24 hours).
A continuous decline since the end of November, interpreted by the Italian health authorities as a success of the measures adopted to fight against new contagions.
"
The situation is still very serious (...) We are in the presence of a sustained circulation of the virus making it very difficult to trace and being able to feed new homes
", the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza warned on Wednesday during a address to parliament.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is due to announce Thursday evening the restrictive measures that will be implemented for the end of year celebrations.
According to the Italian media, he should announce, among other things, the maintenance of the curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., the ban on travel between regions from December 21 until January 6, the continued closure of restaurants in 6 p.m., including December 25 and 26 as well as December 31.
Italy, the first country hard hit by the coronavirus, has recorded a total of more than 1.66 million cases since the start of the pandemic, including 58,038 deaths.
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