Italy with No Escape Route, COVID-19 Deaths Surpass China (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The cumulative death toll from COVID-19 in Italy, where the spread of the novel coronavirus is the strongest in Europe, has surpassed that of China. The cumulative number of confirmed cases also exceeded 40,000, surpassing half of China's total. There are concerns that the number of confirmed cases is not decreasing significantly as the government's strict lockdown measures are not being properly observed in local communities.

According to foreign media such as CNN, on the 19th (local time), the Italian health authorities announced that as of 6 p.m. that day, the cumulative death toll in Italy was counted at 3,405, surpassing the cumulative confirmed deaths in China. With 427 new deaths reported in one day, Italy's cumulative death toll exceeded China's for the first time. The number of cumulative COVID-19 deaths announced by China's National Health Commission that day was 3,245. The cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Italy also surged by 5,322 in one day, reaching 41,035. The number of confirmed cases exceeded half of China's total (80,928).

Italy's case fatality rate, the ratio of cumulative deaths to confirmed cases, stands at 8.29%, more than twice the global average fatality rate of 4.08% reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), marking one of the highest levels worldwide. However, the total number of tests conducted in Italy is only 182,777, about 59.5% of South Korea's 307,024 tests. Therefore, it is expected that the actual number of confirmed cases far exceeds the reported figures.

The high fatality rate in Italy is attributed to the highest proportion of elderly people in Europe. According to statistics from Eurostat, the European Union's statistical office, 22.8% of Italy's total population is aged 65 or older, the highest among EU countries. This significantly exceeds the EU average of 18.9%. Among COVID-19 deaths in Italy, 87% were elderly people aged 70 or above.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The failure to properly implement the strict lockdown policies promoted by the Italian government in local communities is also cited as a cause for the continued spread and significant increase in deaths. Yang Huichuan, Vice President of the Chinese Red Cross leading the Chinese medical support team dispatched to Italy, said at a press conference held in Milan that "public transportation in Milan is still not closed, people are moving freely, and dinners and parties are being held in hotels," emphasizing that "all economic activities must be shut down and residents' movements completely blocked to prevent the spread of the virus."

On the same day, France's cumulative confirmed cases exceeded 10,000, reaching 10,886, increasing the number of European countries with over 10,000 confirmed cases to four, including Italy, Spain (17,963), and Germany (15,320). The total number of confirmed cases in these four countries reached 85,204, surpassing China's cumulative confirmed cases.

Warnings have also been issued that Europe's crisis could spread to Africa. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned at a press conference held at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, that Africa must prepare for the worst-case scenario regarding COVID-19. He emphasized, "Africa must stay alert," adding, "The region should not assume it will remain uninfected and must prepare assuming virus infections will occur."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.