RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Italy, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in Europe, has seen the number of patients in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) decrease for a month. The increase in the number of people cured of Covid-19 suggests that the country is at the end of the worst phase of the disease.
Italy’s head of Civil Protection, Angelo Borrelli, was pleased to announce the cure of more than 2,500 people infected with the coronavirus in just one day.
“On April 3rd we had 4,068 patients in the ICU, today we have a little over 2,800,” an unprecedented number since March 20th, says Franco Locatelli, president of the Italian Supreme Health Council. He points out that “the pressure on hospitals has been clearly reduced” in recent days.
With the announcement of 575 deaths in 24 hours on Friday, April 17th, Italy has recorded 23,000 deaths since the outbreak began. On the other hand, in cities like Naples, Bologna, Venice, Florence, and Rome, the number of infected patients in hospitals has been dropping daily.
Adding to the optimism, in over 65,000 tests conducted in one day – a record in the country – only five percent tested positive for the coronavirus. For Locatelli, this is evidence “of the effectiveness of the confinement measures adopted to stop contagion”.
“This helps us understand the great work accomplished in hospitals and the cooperation of citizens,” said the president of Italy’s Supreme Health Council.
In the province of Bergamo, one of the regions most affected by the pandemic in northern Italy, the church that sheltered the bodies of those who died from Covid-19 has returned to its former self.
“The church of the Bergamo cemetery is empty. Finally,” said Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori on a picture posted on Twitter on Saturday, April 18th.
Coming out of confinement
With the reduction in the number of patients, Italy is preparing to leave confinement. Lombardy Governor Atilio Fontana announced that he intends to reopen the region on May 4th.
The restricted social isolation measures are in force from March 9th to May 3rd. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has been under strong pressure from the business sector to reopen stores and businesses.
Some members of the government, such as Elena Bonetti, the Minister of Family, are supporting the end of confinement. “Something needs to change in the next two weeks for children. Our children have a right to play!”.
The authorities in the south of the country – less affected by the coronavirus – fear a premature return to normality. Vicenzo De Luca, governor of the Campania region, has suggested banning the entry of Italians from the north if confinement reaches the entire population.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has caused more than 165,000 deaths worldwide since its outbreak in China last December. The United States is the country with the highest number of deaths: over 41,000 victims, ahead of Italy (over 23,000 deaths), Spain (over 21,000 deaths), France (over 19,000 deaths) and the United Kingdom (over 16,000 deaths).
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, 2,406,745 cases of contagion have been recorded in 193 countries or territories – more than 1.1 million of them in Europe. Authorities estimate that approximately 625,000 people have been cured of Covid-19 to date.