Mar 27, 2020 - Health

Italy reports nearly 1,000 coronavirus deaths in a day

Fadel Allassan

A casket in Italy. — A priest in Brescello, Italy performs a funeral behind closed doors due to social distancing measures during the coronavirus pandemic on March 27. Photo: Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images

Italy on Friday reported 969 deaths linked to the novel coronavirus over a 24-hour period, marking the deadliest single-day tally in the country since the global outbreak began, according to data from the Health Ministry.

Why it matters: Italy had hoped the worst of the outbreak was over after reporting a decline in the number of new confirmed cases throughout this week. That trend continued into Friday, but was overshadowed by the death count.

“We haven’t reached the peak and we haven’t passed it,” said Chief of the Superior Health Institute Silvio Brusaferro, per Reuters, adding the declining infection numbers show “signs of a slowdown.”

Where it stands, via the Health Ministry: 9,134 people have died in Italy from the virus, as of Friday. More than 86,498 people have confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Italy is behind the U.S. in terms of the number of people who've contracted the virus, per JHU data, but leads the world for the number of deaths associated with the pandemic.

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Italy reports nearly 1,000 coronavirus deaths in a day

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