With 427 new deaths, Italy toll passes China

ROME/BRUSSELS: Italy on Thursday overtook China’s coronavirus death total and braced for an extended lockdown that could see the economy suffer its biggest shock since World War 2.

The Mediterranean country’s toll reached 3,405 after it recorded 427 new deaths on Wednesday.

China has officially reported 3,245 deaths since registering the first case at the end of last year.

The number of new Covid-19 cases is yet to plateau despite the Italian government’s best efforts.

Army trucks delivered new coffins on Thursday to a cemetery in the northern Italian city of Bergamo that suddenly finds itself at the global heart of the unfolding disaster.

Burials were taking place 30 minutes apart to avoid contagion through crowds.

The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 235,000 people and killed over 9,350. Some 84,000 have recovered so far.

UN and Italian health authorities have cited a variety of reasons for Italy’s high toll, key among them its large elderly population, who are particularly susceptible to developing serious complications from the virus. Italy has the world’s second oldest population after Japan’s and the vast majority of Italy’s dead 87% - were over age 70.In addition, virtually all of Italy’s dead had one or more underlying medical condition, such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension or renal insufficiency.

In Germany, the military is making preparations to help tackle the crisis should other civil servants become overwhelmed with the outbreak, defence minister Annegret Kramp-karrenbauer said on Thursday.