The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 24,114 lives in locked-down Italy as total active infections fell for the first time since the pandemic broke out in the northern regions on Feb. 21, according to the latest data released Monday by the country's Civil Protection Department.
Addressing a televised press conference, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli said 454 new fatalities were registered over the past 24 hours.
At the same time, a positive signal came from statistics of active infections, which decreased by 20 cases on Monday compared to the previous day, and totalled 108,237 nationwide.
"This is the first time we see this further positive figure, which shows the current positive people decrease," Borrelli stressed.
The total number of cases, including active infections, fatalities and recoveries rose by 2,256 to 181,228, Borrelli said.
Statistics about the pressure over hospitals in the COVID-19 emergency also remained encouraging, according to the official who is managing the national emergency response.
Of those currently infected, 2,573 patients are in intensive care units (ICUs), down by 62 patients compared to the previous day, another 24,906 are hospitalized in normal wards, down by 127 patients, and 80,758 are isolated at home because they are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms.
Borrelli explained the number of patients in ICUs was the lowest registered since March 20.
The number of COVID-19 patients in need for hospitalization has been declining more or less constantly over the last week, easing the pressure over facilities of the national health system.
Meanwhile, 1,822 people have recovered on a daily basis, bringing the country's total recoveries to 48,877 since the pandemic broke out.
ENCOURAGING SIGNALS
"Today, for the first time, we witness a decrease in the number of currently positive people," noted Luca Richeldi, head of Pulmonary Medicine Division at Rome's Gemelli Hospital and member of the technical-scientific committee counseling the government in the emergency.
"It is a slight drop only ... but for the first time since the pandemic broke out, we have the minus sign in this figure and I think this is an extremely encouraging signal," he stressed.
Addressing reporters at the same press conference with Borrelli, the pulmonologist provided a further analysis of the country's pandemic situation.
"Our picture is based on six parameters, and we are satisfied when some of them drop and some others increase," Richeldi said.
More specifically, he explained, a drop in the numbers of people hospitalized, of patients in intensive care units, and in the total number of active positive people was of course a good sign.
At the same time, an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients put under home isolation (because not in need of hospital care) and in that of recoveries was positive as well.
"As of today, we have a situation in which only one out of the six parameters is not going towards the desirable direction, which is that of deaths," Richeldi stressed, recalling the daily tally of fatalities still exceeded 400 units.
"Yet, we are aware -- on the base of what epidemiologists tell us -- that this specific parameter will be the last one to take the path we would like to see."
Echoing a warning launched by Health Minister Roberto Speranza in an interview to private Radio Capital channel earlier in the day, the member of the technical-scientific committee clearly stated the encouraging signals should not make people think that "the battle was won."
"The painful figure regarding fatalities must bring us to think over what has happened and is still happening ... it must bring us to believe the fight is not over," the chief pulmonologist said.
"Perhaps, we might be in a sort of 'partial truce', with regard to the coronavirus spreading, but for sure this is not the moment to let our guard down."
Italy entered into a national lockdown on March 10 to contain the pandemic. The lockdown, which is expected to last until May 3, will be followed by a so-called "Phase Two," involving "the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities," the Italian government has explained. Enditem
