Policemen with face masks are on duty at Milan Central Railway Station in Milan, Italy, on March 9, 2020. Measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus will be extended to the entire country in the next hours, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced late on Monday. (Photo by Daniele Mascolo/Xinhua)
ROME, March 9 (Xinhua) -- The number of people who tested positive for the new coronavirus reached 7,985, Italian authorities said on Monday.
The figure marked an increase by 1,598 new infections compared to the previous day, and did not include recoveries or fatalities.
"We have registered 102 new cases of recoveries today, which brings the total to 724," Civil Protection Department chief Angelo Borrelli, who serves as extraordinary commissioner for the coronavirus emergency, told a televised press conference in late afternoon.
"We also have had 97 new fatalities, which has brought the death toll to 463," he added.
Considering all data (including deaths and recoveries), the number of assessed coronavirus cases in the country was 9,172.
The official confirmed the vast majority of the fatalities occurred among elderly people.
"One percent of those deceased so far were aged between 50 years and 59 years, some 10 percent between 60 and 69, 31 percent between 70 and 79, another 44 percent between 80 and 89, and 14 percent were over 90," Borrelli explained.
With regard to the health conditions of the 7,985 people currently positive for COVID-19, the Civil Protection chief specified 4,316 of them were hospitalized with symptoms, another 733 were in intensive care, and 2,936 asymptomatic or with light symptoms were in isolation at home.
