Published 16:09 IST, April 21st 2020
Italy records lowest count of new coronavirus cases with 2,256 infections
On April 20, Italy's leaders debated cautious steps out of the coronavirus lockdown that left the economy in shackles and rendered many unemployed.
Italy has reported the lowest new coronavirus cases with over 2,256 infections since the pandemic hit the region, as per media reports. Italy's civil protection service told a press conference that as many as 108,237 active cases were either being treated at the hospitals or were recovering from mild symptoms back home as the cases declined by 20 from108,257 reported the day earlier. Furthermore, the country registered the lowest death toll in the week as of April 20 as the pace of the transmission slumped in almost a month.
According to reports, Lombardy still remains the epicentre of the outbreak accounting for over half the death toll, a total of 12,376 from the COVID-19 nationwide. Italy, however, entered into a more restrictive lockdown that prohibited citizens against non-essential movement of 200 metres (650 feet) outside homes to slow down the rate of infection.
On April 20, the Mediterranean country’s leaders debated cautious steps out of the coronavirus lockdown that left the economy in shackles and an estimated half of the working population dependent on the government stimulus cheques. Therefore, some officials seemed to oppose the strictest lockdown measures beyond their May 3 saying that the deadline might simply not work, confirmed media reports.
Government needs to be “cautious”
"We must give citizens greater freedom of movement," Deputy Health Minister Pierpaolo Sileri said. Conte wrote on his official Facebook account, “some activities will be allowed to resume "according to a well-structured programme that balances the need to protect people's health with the need to resume production".
On the contrary, Italy's extraordinary commissioner for the coronavirus emergency task force warned the government to be “very cautious” in pitting health concerns against economic burdens. Domenico Arcuri told the press conference that there was ''no competition'' between health safety and economic resumption. He warned that, without health safety of the people of Italy, the economic revival will not have positive outcomes, international media reported.
(With Agency Inputs)
Updated 15:59 IST, April 21st 2020