Italy's death toll from the coronavirus epidemic has risen by 604 to 17,127 but the country also reported the lowest increase in new infections in almost a month.
The daily bulletin from the Civil Protection Agency offered more evidence for what Italian health authorities have been saying for days: the contagion curve is flattening.
Another 3039 people tested positive for the coronavirus, the lowest daily jump since March 13.
In percentage terms it was a 2.3-per-cent increase, the lowest since the start of the epidemic.
The number of infected rose to 135,586, confirming Italy as the world's third-most-infected country after the United States and Spain.
Meanwhile, the number of people in intensive care continued to fall, offering more breathing space to overworked hospitals.
It was down by 106 to 3792.
Recovering patients were up by nearly 7.0 per cent to 24,392, while active cases - those excluding deaths and recoveries - increased by only 0.9 per cent to 94,067.
Australian Associated Press
