The new infections, 915 more than in the previous 24 hours, also appear at a time when the country records a daily record of screening tests carried out, with 165,837, says the government department, cited by the news agency Efe.
In total, since the beginning of the pandemic in Italy, on February 21, the Italian health authorities have already detected 402,536 infected with the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, responsible for covid-19.
According to official data, Italy also recorded 47 more fatalities (55 the day before), which brings the total to 36,474 deaths.
The number of hospitalized patients also increased, after 506 more hospitalizations in the last 24 hours, totaling 7,322, of whom 705 are in intensive care units, 67 more than the day before.
The regions with the greatest increase in contagion were Lombardy (north), the epicenter of the pandemic since the first moment, with a total of 2,664 new cases, and Campania (south), with Naples, the capital, registering 1,410.
The Italian Government is considering adopting new measures to contain the spread of the pandemic, although it excludes a general confinement similar to that carried out in the spring.
The Italian executive is expected to meet today to prepare a new decree with urgent measures to contain the pandemic, says the local media, also cited by Efe.
After decreeing limitations on the hours of restaurants, bars and other establishments, forced to close at midnight, and the prohibitions on private parties and the practice of amateur sports, the executive prepares a text that must be published even before Monday .
Among the measures to be enacted, it is expected to reinforce the promotion of remote work, a way to avoid saturation of public transport, which is one of the biggest concerns for the Italian authorities.
According to the executive’s sources, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is expected to hold a press conference on Sunday to announce and explain these measures, Efe said.
The head of government dismissed the idea of a new confinement, arguing that the authorities are now equipped with the means to fight the pandemic.
“The first wave, obviously, caught us without any means because we didn’t even know the characteristics of the enemy,” said Conte at an event in Genoa, in northern Italy, pointing out that at that time the country had no masks, fans or testing material.
Despite the strengthening of Italy’s capacity to face the covid-19, the prime minister appealed for the collaboration of the citizens: “We must protect ourselves”, he pointed out.
Even though the country has the highest number of daily cases, the emergency commissioner, Domenico Arcuri, guaranteed that Italy “is not in a dramatic phase”.
“We are facing a second wave with very different characteristics from the first. Therefore, there is no alarmism, but it is necessary for everyone to help us, because the more responsible Italians are, the less drastic measures we will have to take ”, said the official.
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