Italy reports 349 new virus deaths, taking total to over 2,000

Fatalities from COVID-19 have doubled since last week; 27,980 now confirmed infected, up from 15,113 four days ago

By AFP 16 March 2020, 8:32 pm

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Medical workers in overalls bring a patient under intensive care into the newly built Columbus Covid 2 temporary hospital to fight the new coronavirus infection, at the Gemelli hospital in Rome, on March 16, 2020. (ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP)

ROME, Italy — Italy on Monday reported 349 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, taking its total since last month to 2,158, the most after China.

The number of official COVID-19 fatalities has more than doubled since Thursday, when Italy’s toll topped 1,000 for the first time. Italy now has 27,980 infections, compared to 15,113 four days ago.

It has reported more than 700 deaths in two days.

Among specific regions, the overwhelming majority of the fatalities remained largely confined to northern regions, where the virus first started spreading around cities such as Milan.

The Italian financial capital’s Lombardy region recorded 1,420 deaths, of 66 percent of Italy’s total — about the same share it has had throughout the crisis.

But the neighboring Piedmont region around Turin, which is home to the Italian auto industry, has seen its number of deaths and infections nearly double in two days.

Piedmont reported 111 deaths and 1,516 infections on Monday, compared to 59 deaths and 873 infections on Saturday.

The Lazio region around Rome has recorded 19 deaths and 523 infections.