Coronavirus death toll at 18,849 in Italy, intensive care numbers fall

A sanitation truck cleans the ground at Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Italy, on April 10, 2020. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Friday extended the country's national COVID-19 lockdown to "at least" May 3. The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed 18,849 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries to 147,577 since the pandemic began here in late February, according to fresh data released by the country's Civil Protection Department on Friday. (Photo by Augusto Casasoli/Xinhua)

ROME, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 18,849 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries to 147,577 since the pandemic began here in late February, according to fresh data released by the country's Civil Protection Department on Friday.

Speaking at a televised press conference, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli confirmed that there were 1,396 new active infections compared to Thursday, bringing the nationwide total to 98,273 cases.

Of those infected, 28,242 are hospitalized, down by 157 compared to Thursday; while 3,497 are in intensive care, 108 fewer from Thursday's figure; and the rest are quarantined at home, Borrelli said.

"The decrease of pressure on our hospitals that began about one week ago is continuing," said Borrelli.

"The majority of those who tested positive for the virus, or 68 percent of the total, are in quarantine at home," he added.

The new deaths reported on Friday were 570, bringing the toll to 18,849 since the pandemic first broke out in northern Italy on Feb. 21.

He added that there were 1,985 additional recoveries compared to Thursday, bringing that total to 30,455.

Meanwhile the number of doctors felled by the coronavirus rose to 109 on Friday, according to the National Federation of Orders of Surgeons and Dentists (FNOMCeO), which is keeping a running tally of doctors who died in fighting the pandemic.

In a press conference posted on the Ministry of Health website earlier in the day, National Institute of Health President Silvio Brusaferro said the epidemiological curve "clearly shows a situation of decrease and this is a positive sign, but it must not make us lower our guard."

"The fact that we have been seeing positive signs over the past few days means that the measures taken so far have been significant," added Brusaferro in reference to the national lockdown and strict social distancing rules. "But we must not delude ourselves that the situation has been resolved."

The average age of the deceased is 80 years and the virus is more lethal to men than to women, who make up just 32 percent of the dead, said Brusaferro, who sits on the Technical and Scientific Committee advising the government on how to deal with the coronavirus emergency.

In a message to mark the 168th anniversary of the founding of the State Police Corps, Italian President Sergio Mattarella hailed the work of the police during the coronavirus emergency, not only in terms of enforcing the lockdown but also in terms of their support to citizens during this difficult time.