■ Italian officials and the pope honored health care workers for their pandemic efforts.

Pope delivers message on anniversary of country’s first case

ROME — Pope Francis and Italy’s president on Saturday marked a newly established annual day to honor doctors, nurses and other health care workers, one year after the nation’s first known native case of COVID-19 emerged.

In a message to honor those caring for COVID-19 patients, Frances hailed the “generous involvement, at times heroic, of the profession lived as mission.”

On the evening of Feb. 20, 2020, a hospital in Codogno, northern Italy confirmed that a 38-year-old Italian man was infected with the coronavirus. The man had no links to anyone who had been in China, where the COVID-19 outbreak first erupted.

A year on, Italy has seen more than 95,000 known dead, the second-highest coronavirus toll in Europe after Britain.

Expressing gratitude to doctors, nurses and other health care workers, Francis likened their dedication to “a vaccine against individualism and selfishness.” He said that such dedication “demonstrates the most authentic desire that dwells in the heart of man — be near to those who have the most need and give of oneself for them.”

President Sergio Mattarella marked the first National Day of Health Care Personnel by mourning the many medical workers who contracted COVID-19 and died.

According to professional associations in the sector, at least 326 doctors and 81 nurses have died of COVID-19.

The Italian leader said despite its many shortcomings, the national health care system has proved to be an institution “to preserve and to invest in, in order to protect” Italians collectively.

More COVID-19 anniversary commemorations are scheduled for Sunday in Italy, especially in the hard-hit north, where the outbreak first pummeled the nation.

In other global developments:

Africa has surpassed 100,000 confirmed deaths from COVID-19.

In a significant development on Friday, an African Union-created task force said Russia has offered 300 million doses of the country’s Sputnik V vaccine, to be available in May. The AU previously secured 270 million doses from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

The British government announced a small step out of the nation’s lockdown on Saturday — allowing nursing home residents to have a single friend or family member visit them indoors. The change takes effect March 8.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will announce a “road map” out of lockdown on Monday. The government has stressed that easing restrictions will be slow and cautious, though children will go back to school on March 8.