Coronavirus: Italy to extend lockdown until April 12 as pandemic claims 11,591 lives

To protect the people from the coronavirus pandemic, the government of Italy has decided to extend the period of nationwide lockdown till April 12 to stem coronavirus infections that have claimed a world-leading 11,591 lives so far. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte consoled the people infected with the disease and also said that the country would reach to any extent to curb measures and ould ensure that Italy does not give up on gains it has made against the extraordinary disease all these days.

Coronavirus in Italy

PM Conte reportedly told a local newspaper that the nearly three-week shutdown has been very difficult for the economy of the country. Italy is the first Western nation to impose sweeping restrictions to stem the pandemic. The business closures and a ban on public gatherings are all set to expire on April 3. The death toll in the country increased to 812 on March 30 and the number of infections reported by the civil protection service surpassed 100,000. 

Read: US To Send Medical Supplies To Italy, France, Spain To Help Battle COVID-19 Pandemic

Read: Italy Sees Slowdown In Rate Of New Virus Cases

The people of Italy have been under lockdown for three weeks, with most shops, bars and restaurants shut and people restricted from stepping out of their house for all but non-essential needs. The number of people suffering from the virus also took a dip in the northern Lombardy region, citing a sense of relief for the people. Not just this, the number of patients who recovered from the deadly outbreak also witnessed new heights as the number soar to 1,590 in the past 24 hours, civil protection service chief Angelo Borrelli reportedly told the local media.

The governor of the southern region of Puglia expressed his desire to extend the restrictions until May. Giving data of the doctors affected by the disease, the national doctors’ association reportedly announced the deaths of 11 more doctors on March 30, making the death toll to 61. Not all the doctors were tested before the death but is assumed that their death is possibly due to the dangerous outbreak. 

Read: Coronavirus In Italy: Maxi Lopez Slams Wanda Icardi For Risking Their Kids' Lives

Read: Coronavirus: Why Italy Has Such A High Rate Of Fatalities From COVID-19

Image credit: AP