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ROME (Reuters) – Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose 474 on Saturday from 269 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, registering the highest daily number of deaths since April 21.
The sharp increase in deaths followed a long and gradual downward trend and was mainly due to Lombardy, the worst affected region in the country, where there were 329 deaths in the last 24 hours compared to just 88 the day before.
The daily count of new infections remained broadly stable for the third consecutive day at 1,900 versus 1,965 on Friday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 is now 28,710, the agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States.
The number of confirmed cases amounts to 209,328, the third highest global figure behind the United States and Spain.
People registered as currently carrying the disease fell to 100,704 from 100,943 on Friday.
There were 1,539 people in intensive care on Saturday, down slightly from 1,578 on Friday and maintaining a long-term decline. Of the originally infected, 79,914 were declared recovered against 78,249 a day earlier.
The agency said 1.4330 million people had been screened for the virus against 1.39 billion the previous day, out of a population of about 60 million.
(Report by Gavin Jones)
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