Italy Now Has 1,694 Covid-19 Patients, And It’s Spreading To Other European Countries
The recent surge in Italy’s number of Covid-19 cases continues, and it remains the country with the highest number of cases outside Asia.
On 1 Mar, Mr Angelo Borrelli, the head of Italy’s Civil Protection Department, confirmed that the number of infections had once again gone up — it’s now at 1,694.
The country has also spread the virus to its European neighbours, as countries such as Luxembourg and the Czech Republic have also recorded Covid-19 cases that have been traced back to Italy.
5 more deaths
Mr Borreli confirmed that the jump was a 50% increase from the 1,128 cases logged on 29 Feb.
Furthermore, the Covid-19 death toll in the country now stands at 34, after 5 more people died on 1 Mar.
The good news is, 83 infected people have since recovered.
Spreading in Europe
As the spread of the virus took a turn for the worse in Italy, other countries in Europe are reporting more infected people.
The United Kingdom uncovered 12 more cases, 6 of whom had visited Italy, where they might have been infected.
The Czech Republic has reported its first cases; 2 out of the 3 cases had visited Italy prior to detection, and the third case studied there.
Aid package for economy
In order to deal with the detrimental impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, Italy will sustain its economy by implementing a €3.6 billion package, which amounts to S$5.5 billion.
According to Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri, they are intending to adpot the measures by the end of next week.
The likely approval of the Cabinet and the European Union is still needed before implementation.
Containing Covid-19 in Europe
While the growing presence of Covid-19 in Europe is worrying, its countries are actively curbing its spread.
The Louvre in Paris is still closed to the public, and a series of major events such as the Geneva auto show and the Milan furniture fair have been cancelled.
As Europe becomes increasingly alerted to the dangers of Covid-19, we hope it can be effectively contained in the region before things get too out of hand.
Featured image adapted from Flipboard
