Italy reports lowest coronavirus daily death toll since lockdown began March

A worker sanitizes the entrance of the Atlantic hotel, in Rome, Wednesday, April 29.(Andrew Medichini/AP)

Italy reported its lowest daily coronavirus death toll on Sunday since the country went into lockdown on March 10 after recording 174 new deaths, the Civil Protection Agency said.

The country had recorded 474 fatalities the day prior and also saw a decline in new cases from 1,900 to 1,389.

Italy has reported 28,884 deaths since the pandemic began, second only to the United States’ total.

The Italian government is preparing to start easing its lockdown restrictions after eight weeks, encouraged by the downward trend.

Manufacturing and construction projects will resume on May 4 with shops following on May 14. Bars and restaurants and other similar, nonessential businesses will not reopen until at least June 1. The country will keep broad social distancing measures in effect indefinitely.