Italy stops counting its dead, over 2,500 in serious condition

Italy, the epicenter of the virus now, has in certain places stopped counting the dead.

By David Isaac, World Israel News 

Italy reported the highest number of coronavirus deaths in a 24-hour period – 793. Official totals for the country as of Saturday are 4,825 dead and 6, 557 infected (2,857 of them in serious condition).

Italy has become the epicenter of the world pandemic, accounting for a third of the total death count, which stands at 13.021 as of Sunday morning.

The country’s total death toll has surpassed the number of deaths in China, where the first cases emerged late last year.

The Guardian reports that Italian health officials “looked stony faced” as they called out the most recent numbers. The average age of the deceased in Italy is 78.5.

National health Institute Head Silvio Brusaferro told the elderly to stay indoors.

“If you do not follow all the (government) measures, you make everything more difficult,” he said. “If you do, we can make this outbreak slow down.”

An Israeli doctor who is helping in Parma, Italy, told Israel’s Channel 12 that the situation is worsening. With a shortage of artificial respirators, he says that the instructions are not to give them to patients over 60. He says the focus is to allow terminally ill patients to say their final goodbyes to loved ones. It has even become difficult for families to ensure proper burials.

Israel Hayom reports that because of the strain on the system in certain places they’ve stopped counting the dead.

Northern Italy reports a severe shortage of medical supplies to combat the disease.

Local authorities in the hard-hit northern regions have been pleading with the national government to enact stricter measures. Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte told the nation he was tightening a lockdown and shutting down all production facilities except those providing essential goods and services. He cautioned citizens to be calm and patient, saying there is no alternative.

Police in the region were inspecting documents and fining people who didn’t have a valid reason for being on the streets.

AP contributed to this report.