Italy sets new record with over 15,000 new virus cases

By Giada Zampano

ROME (AA) - Italy on Wednesday reported 15,199 new coronavirus cases, a new single-day record since the start of the pandemic.

According to Health Ministry data, almost 178,000 swab tests were performed over the past 24 hours.

Once the epicenter of the pandemic in Europe, Italy also registered 127 new deaths, up from 89 Tuesday, bringing the death toll in the country to 36,832.

Italy continues to see a rising trend in new COVID-19 cases in several regions, led by the northern Lombardy region, which on Wednesday registered the higher number of new cases, at over 4,000.

Both Lombardy and the southern Campania regions were the first two to introduce local curfews this week.

In light of the rising new infections, the Italian government could consider to impose stricter measures as soon as this weekend.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Tuesday that local measures to contain the second wave of contagion will be allowed, but there is a need to coordinate at the national level.

He also stressed that the situation is completely different from the first wave and "we cannot re-propose the same strategy" of national lockdowns.