Italy starts to look ahead to 'phase two' as COVID-19 death toll slows

Italy reported its lowest daily COVID-19 death toll for more than two weeks on Sunday as authorities began to look ahead to a second phase of the battle against the new coronavirus once the lockdown imposed almost a month ago is eventually eased.

The toll from the world’s deadliest outbreak reached 15,887, almost a quarter of the global death total, but the rise of 525 from a day earlier was the smallest daily increase since March 19, while the number of patients in badly stretched intensive care units fell for a second day running.

“The curve has reached a plateau and begun to descend,” said Silvio Brusaferro, head of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy’s top health institute. “It is a result that we have to achieve day after day.”

“If this is confirmed, we need to start thinking about the second phase and keep down the spread of this disease.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-italy/italy-starts-to-look-ahead-to-phase-two-as-covid-19-death-toll-slows-idUSKBN21N0GA?