793 people die in 24 hours in Italy as number of cases rises to 53,578

Italy is the epicentre in Europe.

The death toll from the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy has risen by 793 to 4,825 in just 24 hours, officials said. Italy's death toll is the largest in the world, overtaking China on Friday. The country's authorities say there have been 6557 new cases of the virus There are now 53,578 cases in the country as the country's health service struggles to cope with the sheer numbers of cases. It now accounts for over 30% of coronavirus cases worldwide. The hardest-hit northern region of Lombardy remains in a critical situation. It has recorded 3,095 deaths and 25,515 cases. Video from inside the city’s main hospital, taken by Sky News, showed patients lined up in a narrow ward, struggling for breath as doctors and nurses hurry to give care to them all. The volume of the cases and deaths means that hospitals are overwhelmed and even cemeteries have struggled to cope with the army being enlisted to transport remains from the Bergamo region.