Italy confirms 165 new deaths from coronavirus

By Giada Zampano

ROME (AA) - Italy on Sunday reported 165 new fatalities from the coronavirus, bringing the toll to 30,560, as the number of active infections continued to fall.

Data released by Italy’s Civil Protection Department confirmed the peak of the outbreak passed, but experts keep warning that a relaxation of the rules in the second phase of the emergency could spark a rebound in the virus contagions.

The tally of active infections on Sunday fell by 1,518, putting the total at 83,324.

Meanwhile, recoveries continued to climb, jumping to 105,186 as more patients left intensive care, easing pressure on Italy's overwhelmed healthcare system.

The epicenter of the Italian outbreak remains the northern Lombardy region, where fatalities has kept rising, reaching 14,986, almost half of the country's total deaths.

The government insists that phase 2 – which started on May 4 – consists of “living with the virus” and that restrictions need to be lifted gradually. This means the announced steps could be pushed back or even canceled if scientific evidence shows the spread of the virus starts picking up again.

The lockdown measures are scheduled to be further eased in gradual steps: first on May 18 for retailers, and on June 1 for bars and restaurants. Schools will stay closed until September, while travel between regions -- except for justified reasons -- is still banned.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte reassured Italians on Sunday that they will not be spending the summer in quarantine and that they will be able to go on vacation.

In an interview with Italian daily Il Corriere della Sera, Conte said that special rules will have to be applied, but they will not force people to stay at home and allow them to enjoy their holidays.

Italian tourism industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, so the premier suggested Italians to pick their country as a holiday destination.

“This summer we won’t stay on our balconies and the Italian beauty won’t be quarantined,” Conte said. “We will be allowed to go to the beaches, or to the mountains, we will enjoy our cities.”