Italy reports 475 new deaths, the highest one-day toll of any nation

Rome: Italy, on Wednesday, reported 475 new deaths, the highest one-day toll of any nation. Meanwhile, the total number of deaths in Italy have reached 2978. The number of infections is currently at 35,713. The second-highest number of deaths in Italy took place on Sunday when 368 people died of the m=novel coronavirus.
The European nation, with a population of 6 crores, has so far attributed to 34 per cent of COVID-19 deaths across the globe.

"The main thing is, do not give up... It will take a few days before we see the benefits... We must maintain these measures to see their effect, and above all to protect the most vulnerable," Italian National Institute of Health chief Silvio Brusaferro said in a press conference.
Meanwhile, Italy continues to be locked down as a nationwide ban was imposed on March 12. The ban on public gatherings is slated to expire on March 25, while school closures and gatherings at sporting events will remain in force till April 3.

Amid talks of Italian numbers reaching a peak, researchers say 'too early' to predict trends
While there have been claims and counterclaims that the number of cases in Italy has reached a peak, researchers and experts believe it is too early to predict a trend. "It is very important to continue with containment measures, and to avoid the emergence of the outbreak in central Italy and the south," University of Genoa professor Giorgio Sestili was quoted as saying by Avvenire daily..

"Talking about a peek at a national level simply makes no sense. It is impossible to make forecasts because the epidemic is appearing like spots on a leopard," in places and not all at once," Giovanni Rezza, who heads the infectious diseases department at Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) was quoted as saying by Italian Radio.