All of Italy’s Regions Infected with Coronavirus

All of Italy’s regions are now infected with the coronavirus, according to the head of Italy’s Civil Protection, Angelo Borrelli, who provided the latest data during a press conference on Thursday.

A total of 3,858 people have been infected with the coronavirus, which is an increase of 590 more people than Wednesday, and 148 more deaths, an increase of 41 more deceased than Wednesday, according to a report by La Repubblica.

Italy’s 20 regions — which are similar to states in the U.S. — are all infected with the coronavirus, as of Thursday. Just last week, only half of Italy’s regions were infected. The disease is mostly concentrated in northern regions, such as Lombardy (2,251), Emilia-Romagna (698), and Veneto (407).

“So far, 10.7% of the total of those who contracted the coronavirus have recovered, the dead is at 3.8%,” said Borrelli.

“There are no critical issues in our hospitals, including those in Lombardy who are overworked,” he added.

The dead now total at 98 in Lombardy (25 more than Wednesday), 30 in Emilia-Romagna (eight more than Wednesday), and ten in Veneto (four more than Wednesday).

The Italian government has ordered that all schools in the country be closed from Thursday until the middle of the month, according to a report by Corriere della Sera. Schools have already been closed for the past two weeks in Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna.

But as coronavirus cases and deaths rise each day, the government is considering extending the duration of school closures, reports La Repubblica.

“An extension of the closure of schools in the country could take place,” said the president of Italy’s Superior Council of Health, Franco Locatelli, at the Civil Protection press conference on Thursday. “It is a sacrifice that is needed and must be done.”

In a video message to the Italian people regarding the nation’s coronavirus problem, Italian President Sergio Mattarella urged his citizens to “trust in Italy,” and not to engage in “counterproductive states of anxiety.”

“The pitfall of a new virus causes concern. It is understandable, and it makes everyone feel responsible,” said President Mattarella.

“But we must avoid [unnecessary] and counterproductive states of anxiety,” he added. “We are a modern country with an excellent national health system that is operating effectively and selfless staff.”

Last week, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte admitted that a hospital in Lombardy “did not follow protocol” and has thus contributed to the spread of the coronavirus in the nation. It was later discovered that Italy’s “Patient One” was forced to wait 36 hours before he was tested for the coronavirus at Codogno Hospital in Lombardy.

Italy’s “Patient Zero” is still at large.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.