Italy reports 475 new coronavirus deaths in just 1 day

Wednesday saw the biggest increase in coronavirus deaths in Italy, with 475 infected people dying.

Nearly 3,000 people have died in the country since the first cases of COVID-19 coronavirus were reported there in late January. There are now 35,713 confirmed cases, and Italian health officials say more than 4,000 patients have fully recovered, BBC News reports.

Italy is the hardest-hit country after China, where 3,245 people have officially died from the virus since the outbreak began in December; globally, at least 8,758 people are dead from COVID-19. To combat the spread of the new coronavirus, Italy has been on lockdown for close to two weeks, with people told they can only leave their homes if they must go to work, see a doctor, or get groceries.

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Restaurants, shops, bars, and gyms are all closed, and police are stopping people they see on the streets; so far, authorities have charged more than 40,000 people with violating lockdown, including a priest who was performing a funeral.