Italy baffled by unexplained surge in deaths during coronavirus crisis
- Country recorded 50 per cent more fatalities than usual in March, suggesting pandemic toll could be double official figure
- Not knowing real numbers complicates planning for government as Italy eases out of world’s longest lockdown
Italy recorded almost 50 per cent more fatalities in March than usual, according to new official data showing that the real coronavirus death toll could be far higher than the 29,000 reported.
The new data suggests that the death toll from the day the country’s first infection was reported on February 20 to March 31 could be nearly double the official figure.
The Italian government has struggled to determine how many people have actually died from an illness that forced the nation of 60 million to shut down over the first half of March.
The data was released on the day Italy eased nine weeks of confinement. Italians were allowed to stroll freely in parks and visit their relatives even while many small stay shut for another two weeks.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte hopes a drop in infections and a gradual return to business can help the economy start recovering from what might be its worst downturn since the 1930s.