Health and Healthcare Systems

Has Italy's coronavirus outbreak finally peaked?  

Personal trainer Antonietta Orsini carries out an exercise class for her neighbours from her balcony while Italians cannot leave their homes due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Rome, Italy, March 18, 2020. Picture taken March 18, 2020 REUTERS/Remo Casilli     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC2WMF9RAEOP

Italy imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 10. Image: REUTERS/Remo Casilli

Josephine Moulds
Share:
Our Impact
What's the World Economic Forum doing to accelerate action on Health and Healthcare Systems?
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Global Health is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
Stay up to date:

Global Health

This article was updated on 6 April 2020.

  • Italy recorded its lowest rise in new cases for five days yesterday.
  • The number of new deaths has fallen to its lowest rate since 19 March.
  • Officials believe the worst of the outbreak has now passed.

Italy recorded its lowest rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases for five days on Sunday, raising hopes that the worst of the outbreak has now passed.

Have you read?

Italy recorded 4,316 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, compared with 4,805 new cases on Saturday. Yesterday's death toll of 575 was Italy's lowest since 19 March.

"The curve has started to descend and the death toll is also starting to drop,” Silvio Brusaferro, President of Italy's Superior Institute of Health, said in a press conference yesterday. "It is a result that we have to achieve day after day.

"If this is confirmed, we need to start thinking about the second phase and keep down the spread of this disease."

Italy's rate of new infections seems to have passed its peak
Italy's rate of new infections seems to have passed its peak Image: Worldometer

Italy has suffered the world's deadliest outbreak of coronavirus. As of Sunday 5 April, 15,887 people have died from the disease in the country, which has recorded 128,948 confirmed cases.

The Italian government imposed a nationwide lockdown on 10 March. The measures stopped people from leaving their homes except to go to work, to shop for food or other necessities, to exercise or walk dogs for brief periods, or perform essential tasks like caring for an elderly relative.

On 22 March, it extended restrictions, closing all non-essential businesses and banning any movement inside the country other than for “non-deferrable and proven business or health reasons or other urgent matters”.

A police officer wearing a protective face mask controls travel documents allowing to leave a home, as the Italian government continues restrictive movement measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak, in Catania, Italy March 14, 2020. REUTERS/Antonio Parrinello - RC2MJF9OSB99
Police have enforced the lockdown across Italy. Image: REUTERS/Antonio Parrinello

Despite Italy's growing optimism, new measures continue to be put in place to halt the spread of the disease. Last week, authorities in Lombardy - the country's worst-hit region - passed a law requiring residents to wear face masks whenever they go outside. This ordinance will last until 13 April, and those who flout it could be fined €400.

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Related topics:
Health and Healthcare SystemsGeographies in Depth
Share:
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

World Mental Health Day: How leaders can prioritize well-being in the workplace

Kate Whiting

October 4, 2024

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum