Italy fiscal police loads up aid for virus hotzone

Italy's Civil Protection ordered the country's fiscal police service to fly key medical supplies to the Veneto region to aid the fight against the new coronavirus.

Agents from the Guardia di Finanza (GdF) delivered 140 boxes containing 240,000 protective masks in a flight on Saturday from Fiumicimo near Rome to Venice, where health workers are facing shortages.

Italy is facing a lack of hospital beds and medical equipment as the virus continues to test the Italian health system.

One of the most critical issues in Italy's fight against the coronavirus is the transportation of medical equipment from one region to another.

As of early Sunday Italy had reported more than 92,000 cases of the virus.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.