Italy reports 475 coronavirus deaths, the highest single-day death toll for any country since the outbreak began

insider@insider.com (Rhea Mahbubani,Kieran Corcoran)
·2 min read
italy coronavirus
A man wearing a face mask walks on a deserted street in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday.

Andrea Pattaro/AFP via Getty Images

  • Italy on Wednesday recorded the highest one-day death toll of any nation since the coronavirus outbreak began: 475 deaths.

  • As of Wednesday, the coronavirus had infected more than 35,700 people and killed nearly 3,000 people in Italy.

  • Even at the peak of China's outbreak, its highest single-day death toll was 150, on February 23.

  • The COVID-19 virus has brought the Italian healthcare system to the brink of collapse in a matter of weeks.

  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Italy reported 475 deaths from the coronavirus in one day, its civil-protection agency said on Wednesday.

That's the highest death toll reported in one day by any country since the coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan, China, late last year.

Even at the height of China's outbreak, its highest single-day death toll was 150, on February 23. Iran and Spain, both struggling with large outbreaks, have not recorded more than 200 deaths in a single day.

As of Wednesday, the coronavirus had infected more than 35,700 people and killed nearly 3,000 people in Italy.

It is the worst-hit nation outside Asia, second only to China, where many people have recovered and the daily death toll has slowed dramatically.

covid 19 death rate countries with deaths and more than 1000 cases
covid 19 death rate countries with deaths and more than 1000 cases

Shayanne Gal/Business Insider

Globally, the number of coronavirus cases has surpassed 212,000, and the number of deaths is at more than 8,700.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte put the entire country of 60 million people on lockdown on March 10. Only pharmacies and grocery stores remain open, and a 6 p.m. curfew is being enforced.

The European nation is home to an aging population that is particularly vulnerable to the virus, which causes an illness called COVID-19.

The coronavirus outbreak has brought the Italian healthcare system to the brink of collapse in a matter of weeks, with overloaded hospitals, a shortage of beds, and a lack of medical resources. That has forced medical workers to choose who to treat first.

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