Coronavirus claims over 8,000 lives in Italy

The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 8,165 lives in locked-down Italy by Thursday, with the cumulative number of cases reaching 80,539, according to new data released by the Civil Protection Department.

Speaking during a nightly televised press conference, Agostino Miozzo, director of Civil Protection Department and coordinator of the Technical and Scientific Committee, confirmed that there are 4,492 new coronavirus infections compared to Wednesday, bringing the nationwide active infections to 62,013 cases, Xinhua reported.

Of those infected, 33,648 are under house isolation and 3,612 are hospitalized in intensive care, while 24,753 are in ordinary hospital wards.

He added that there were 999 new recoveries compared to Wednesday, bringing the total to 10,361.

The death toll between Wednesday and Thursday was 662, bringing the total to 8,165 since the pandemic first broke out in northern Italy on February 21.

The numbers are up from an official tally on Wednesday evening of 57,521 actively infected, 7,503 deaths, and 9,362 recoveries.

Miozzo also confirmed that Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli has tested negative for the virus, and that Italian citizens have so far donated over 52 million euros to the Civil Protection Department to fight the emergency.