Coronavirus: Deaths in Italy rise to more than 1,800 while country is in lockdown

The coronavirus death toll in Italy has jumped by nearly 400 in the last 24 hours, according to officials.

The death toll went up from 1, 441 to 1,809 as of yesterday.

The total number of infections in the country, which is in lockdown, has also increased from 21, 157 to 24, 747 making it the hardest hit in Europe.

The country’s experience offers an alarming example for other European countries that have begun seeing sharp rises in cases.

Italy sees a sharp rise in coronavirus-related deaths making it the worst-hit European country, according to WHO

The World Health Organization says Europe is the world’s epicentre of the virus, and Italy has the highest number of cases.

Lombardy, the heavily populated area around the financial capital Milan, has been Italy‘s worst-affected region, with 966 deaths and 11,685 confirmed cases, more than half the national total.

Governments around the world have stepped up restrictions on the movement of their citizens to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed nearly 5,800 people with over 153,000 infected globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Spain became the second European country to impose a nationwide lockdown after 2,000 new cases were confirmed and the number of reported deaths doubled.

Iran also reported 100 deaths in just 24 hours as confirmed cases reaches almost 14,000.

The US has introduced measures to control the virus by issuing travel bans.

On Saturday, Trump announced at a press conference that he was going to include Ireland and the UK in his European travel ban given the countries were showing “activity” in relation to the disease spreading.