国际英语资讯:Italy records high coronavirus death, cure totals as officials search for more doctors_时事

国际英语资讯:Italy records high coronavirus death, cure totals as officials search for more doctors

ROME, March 18 -- Numbers for both new deaths and new cures from Italy's coronavirus outbreak released Wednesday are the highest on record, as health officials scramble to find enough doctors to confront the outbreak's spread.

According to data released Wednesday by Angelo Borrelli, head of Italy's Civil Protection Department, a total of 475 Italians died in the last 24 hours from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Another 1,084 people were cured over the same span.

Both figures were the highest one-day recorded since the virus outbreak began in Italy last month.

国际英语资讯:Italy records high coronavirus death, cure totals as officials search for more doctors1

Overall, there were 2,648 new active cases recorded in the last day, a slower rate of increase than the previous day, when there were 2,898 new active cases. The increase of 10.2 percent on Wednesday was one of lowest this month.

The coronavirus epidemic has claimed 2,978 victims in Italy as of Wednesday evening, with the cumulative coronavirus cases reaching 35,713 since the epidemic broke out on Feb. 21.

As well, a total of 4,025 patients have recovered, a big jump from 2,941 recorded a day earlier.

Italy, which recorded the most cases outside China, currently reported 28,710 active coronavirus cases, compared to Tuesday's 26,062.

Of those active cases, 12,090 are under home isolation, 14,363 hospitalized with symptoms and 2,257 are in intensive care.

"We must continue to monitor the situation and assume that as the effects of the national lockdown are reflected in the statistics we will start to see a more significant slowdown," Borrelli said. "We have to do more in Italy to limit the movement of residents to stop the spread" of the virus.