TheCable

Italy has reported 168 deaths from coronavirus in the last 24 hours — setting a new record as the highest single toll since the outbreak began in December 2019.

This development is coming a few days after the Italian government locked down the entire northern region which has a population of 16 million people to check the spread of the disease.

The government also shut down classrooms, banned kissing and hugging as a part of its effort to stop the spread of the virus.

Schools, gyms, nightclubs were also closed while sports events, civil and religious activities were all cancelled.

On Wednesday, Italian authorities announced that a total of 631 deaths had been recorded with 10,149 confirmed cases.

The country’s death toll and total number of confirmed cases is the second-highest in the world, after mainland China, where coronavirus broke out in December.

Nigeria’s index case was identified as an Italian business traveller, who flew into the country through Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, on February 24.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that the virus had been confirmed in 11 African countries — DR Congo, Algeria, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Senegal, Tunisia, Togo, Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Morocco.

The affected countries have reported nearly 100 coronavirus cases with over half of the cases confirmed in Egypt.

WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency in January, appealing for $675 million to fund a three-month response plan.