Coronavirus death cases rise to 29 in Italy

Italian authorities have announced that eight more people have died of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths to 29, while tests have confirmed that some 240 people have contracted the virus over the past day, according to Reuters.

The head of the Italian Civil Protection Agency said that the total number of confirmed cases had risen to 1,128, 50 of which had cured.

The outbreak in Italy began in the Lombardy and Veneto regions, making it the most affected country in Europe, and its spread led to heightened action and a sharp decline in Italian economic activity.

The Lombardy regional government said it would ask the government to maintain the virus prevention measures for at least one more week.

E.M