STAGGERING

Italy’s COVID-19 Cases Likely 10 Times Higher Than Official Numbers: Official

The head of Italy’s civil protection says he fears more than 600,000 people in Italy are infected with the novel coronavirus.

The head of Italy’s civil protection authority says he feared the true number of people infected with COVID-19 in Italy is 10 times higher than its 63,927 certified cases. Angelo Borrelli said Tuesday that the more likely number tops 600,000 because so many are yet untested and asymptomatic. “The report of one certified patient for every 10 undiagnosed is credible,” Borrelli said. The number of new cases and new deaths dropped for a second day in a row on Monday, but Borrelli warned that given the current trajectory, Italy will very soon surpass the total number of cases in China. Italy has been on a nationwide lockdown since March 10. More than 6,077 people have died with the virus, nearly three times the number of reported deaths in China.