Italy coronavirus cases jump 50 per cent in a day amid fears of broader contagion across Europe
- Infections by the new coronavirus nearly doubled in the 48 hours in Italy
- Five more people died on Sunday, bringing Italy’s death toll to 34
The number of people in Italy who have contracted the new coronavirus rose to 1,694 on Sunday, with the number killed by the virus up to 34, Civil Protection Agency head Angelo Borrelli told a press conference in Rome.
Sunday’s tally, which included those who have recovered and those who died after contracting the virus, represented a 50 per cent increase on the 1,128 cases recorded the previous day. Borrelli said 83 of those infected had so far recovered.
The Italian epidemic has fanned fears of a broader contagion across Europe: health officials have traced many cases back to Italy, and new cases emerged in the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Germany and Britain on Sunday despite authorities’ efforts to stop it.
The Italian government is planning a €3.6-billion (US$3.9 billion) aid package to help boost the economy in light of the coronavirus outbreak, Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri said in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper published on Sunday.
Gualtieri said Italy’s cabinet intends to adopt the measures by the end of next week. He was confident the European Union would not challenge the request and said the approval of parliament would also be sought.