Italy's grim tally of coronavirus cases and deaths continues to soar, with officials on Saturday announcing new day-to-day highs: 793 dead and 6,557 cases.
The country, at the heart of western Europe's rampaging outbreak, now counts 53,578 known cases.
More than 60 percent of the latest deaths occurred in the northern region of Lombardy, whose hospitals have been reeling under a staggering case load that has left intensive care beds hard to find and respirators in dire supply.
The new increases come nearly two weeks into a national lockdown in a desperate bid to contain the contagion.
