919 new Covid-19 fatalities in Italy over 24-hour period

The death toll for Italy now stands at 9,134.

Italy has recorded its highest daily rise in coronavirus-related deaths with 919 people passing away in a 24-hour period. Italian health officials announced the figures on Friday (27 March), bringing the country's overall Covid-19 death toll to 9,134, surpassing those of China and the USA in the process. 5,909 new cases were announced alongside the fatalities. The total number of active cases in Italy now stands at 86,498. The figures arrive following chief of the Superior Health Institute Silvio Brusaferro noting that the country has not yet reached or passed its Covid-19 peak. "When the descent begins, how steep it is will depend on our behaviour,” Brusaferro added. Restrictive lockdown measures are currently in place in Italy until Friday 3 April and are expected to be extended. One week ago, Sky News presented a report from inside one of the hardest-hit hospitals in Bergamo. According to the broadcaster, Lombardy was most-affected regarding Friday's figures with 541 of the fatalities coming from the region.