Virus toll hits 197 as Italy reports uptick of deaths
>>ROME: Italy began recruiting retired doctors yesterday as part of urgent efforts to bolster the healthcare system with 20,000 additional staff and fight the escalating viral epidemic.
The measure is one of several adopted by the government during an all-night cabinet meeting that came after the Mediterranean country reported at least 49 more deaths on Friday.
The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has risen by 49 to 197, the Civil Protection Agency said on Friday, the largest daily increase in fatalities since the contagion was uncovered two weeks ago.
Italy is currently reporting more deaths per day from the virus than any other country in the world and the government this week ordered the closure of schools, universities, cinemas and theatres around the country to try to stem the infections.
The cumulative number of cases in the country, which has been the hardest hit in Europe by the epidemic, totalled 4,636 compared with 3,858 on Thursday.
China, where the outbreak began, had 80,711 confirmed cases and 3,045 cumulative cases, 30 of them reported on Friday by the World Health Organisation.
The Vatican, an independent state that sits in the heart of Rome, registered its first case on Friday.
The national health institute said the average age of those who had died so far was 81, with the majority suffering underlying health problems.
The fatality rate from the illness in Italy, which has one of the oldest populations in the world, is running at 4.25%, higher than in most other countries.
In a worrying sign for hard-pressed hospitals, the number of patients in intensive care rose more than 30% on Friday to 462. On a more positive note, some 523 people have fully recovered, authorities said, an increase of 26% on the previous tally.
Analysts have said that the crisis will likely push Italy’s fragile economy into its fourth recession in as little as 12 years. Credit ratings agency Moody’s on Friday cut its growth forecast for the country to -0.5% in 2020, from a previous +0.5% estimate.
Underscoring the economic concerns, the Milan stock exchange fell 3.5% on Friday and is now down 17.4% since news of the first case was announced on Feb 21.