12th March, 2020
Italy now under lockdown since Tuesday for coronavirus pandemic is really being battered by the virus with the death toll in the last 24 hours increasing by 23 per cent.
Official figures said 189 people died today, increasing the death tally to 1,016.
The total number of cases in Italy ballooned to 15,113 from a previous 12,462, an increase of 21.7 per cent.
It was the biggest daily rise in absolute terms since the contagion first came to light on February 21.
Italy’s Civil Protection Agency said out of those originally infected, 1,258 had fully recovered compared to 1,045 the day before. Some 1,153 people were in intensive care against a previous 1,028.
The country has meanwhile ordered all shops closed except pharmacies and food stores and has warned that people who deliberately infect others and caused their deaths would be charged with malicious murder.
Infected people who refused to stay at home would also be fined €206.