The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy rose in the last 24 hours by 427 to 3,405, overtaking the total number of deaths so far registered in China, officials said on Thursday.
Thursday’s figure represented a slight improvement on the day before, when Italy recorded 475 deaths from COVID-19, while the world has stepped up efforts against the coronavirus pandemic by closing schools, shutting down cities and imposing strict border controls.
Health authorities have cited a variety of reasons for Italy’s high toll, key among them its large population of elderly people, who are particularly susceptible to serious complications from the virus, though severe cases have also been seen in younger patients.
The country is home to has the world’s second-oldest population, and the vast majority of its dead — 87 percent — were over 70.
As a result Italy’s health care system has been overwhelmed by the virus, and on Thursday, Sun Shuopeng, the head of a Chinese Red Cross delegation helping advise Italy said he was shocked to see so many people walking around, using public transportation and eating out and partying in hotels.
“Right now we need to stop all economic activity and we need to stop the mobility of people,” he said. “All people should be staying at home in quarantine.”
Worldwide, the death toll crept toward 10,000 as the total number of infections topped 220,000, including nearly 85,000 people who have recovered.
The World Heath Organisation (WHO) this week called on all countries to ramp up testing programmes as the best way to slow the advance of the pandemic.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said:
“We have a simple message to all countries – test, test, test.
“All countries should be able to test all suspected cases. They cannot fight this pandemic blindfolded.”