In Italy, the frontline of Europe’s battle against Covid-19, disease infections have not yet reached their peak, according to the head of the country’s national health institute, who warned that lockdown measures would have to be extended.
The country has reported 8,215 deaths of people who contracted the coronavirus, with the total confirmed cases topping 80,000. “We haven’t reached the peak and we haven’t passed it,” the chief of the Superior Health Institute, Silvio Brusaferro, said, adding that there were however “signs of a slowdown” in the numbers of people becoming infected.
“When the descent begins, how steep it is will depend on our behaviour,” Brusaferro said, referring to how strictly Italians will continue to respect a government-imposed lockdown.
Italy was the first western country to introduce swingeing restrictions on movement after uncovering the outbreak five weeks ago. It has progressively tightened the curbs, banning all non-essential activities until at least next Friday, according to Reuters.
Here’s some context to Brusaferro’s comments, as FT’s John-Burn-Murdoch charts the death toll rise globally and across individual nations, including Italy.
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