Italy registers lowest increase in virus deaths

Italy has registered its lowest day-to-day increase in deaths of patients with the new coronavirus in more than two weeks. Angelo Borrelli, the head of the national Civil Protection agency and Coronavirus Special Commissioner on Sunday, said there were 525 deaths in the 24-hour period since Saturday evening.

That's the lowest such figure since 427 deaths were registered on 19 March.

Italy now has a total of 15,887 deaths and nearly 130,00 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

A day shy of one-month under national lockdown that the government ordered to try to contain the wildly spreading contagion, the lower count of day-to-day deaths brought some encouragement.

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. The vast majority of people recover.