FILE PHOTO: Relatives of a person who died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) arrive at a cemetery in Bergamo, Italy March 16, 2020. /Reuters
The death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic has surged by 475 in the last 24 hours, reaching 2,978. The increase is the largest daily jump in fatalities since Italy reported its first cases of the deadly illness last month.
According to Reuters, official data show that nearly 30,000 people have been confirmed as positive for the coronavirus in Italy, the highest number outside China where the virus first emerged.