WHO: There Are ‘Encouraging Signs’ From Italy’s Cornavirus Crisis
GREEN SHOOTS
It’s the smallest glimmer of good news, but we’ll take it. The World Health Organization has said it’s seen “encouraging signs” that the coronavirus pandemic may be leveling off in Italy—the country that has suffered the highest death toll from the disease, ahead of Spain and China. However, the European news agency AFP said the WHO’s European office has also warned that it’s too early to say whether the worst is over for Italy. The country has reported a fall in the number of new coronavirus cases for four successive days, as well as a slight drop in the number of new deaths. As of Thursday morning, Italy, with a population of 60 million, has confirmed 74,386 cases, 7,503 deaths, and 9,362 recoveries. As Italy’s rate of new cases appears to slow down, it’s inevitable that the United States, with a population of around 330 million, will soon overtake the country with the second highest number of confirmed cases behind China.