Hope in Italy as active coronavirus cases drop
The number of folks officially identified as infected with coronavirus in Italy has fallen for the very first time because the country's outbreak began, authorities have said.
As of Monday, there were 108,237 persons either being treated in hospital or recovering in the home, 20 fewer than the prior day.
Authorities say the tiny but symbolic drop is a "positive development".
Italy's lockdown continues until 3 May but some businesses have reopened.
They include bookshops, stationers and shops selling children's clothes, as officials observe how social distancing measures could be safely applied.
Italy has the third-highest number of Covid-19 cases on the globe after Spain and the united states. On Sunday, the increase of active positive cases in the country was 486.
"For the very first time, we have seen a new positive development: the quantity of currently positive has declined," civil protection agency chief Angelo Borrelli told reporters.
More than 24,000 persons have up to now died of the coronavirus in Italy, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the condition globally.
However, as persons who die in the home or in care facilities aren't contained in the country's figures, many believe you see, the death and infection rates may be higher than the official tallies.
