Italy Reports Lowest Number of New Virus Cases in Four Days

(Bloomberg) --

Italy registered the lowest number of new coronavirus cases in four days on Saturday, as an opinion poll showed most Italians favor ending a national lockdown that is crushing the economy.

With the government cautious on easing containment measures after an initial relaxation on Monday, 58% of Italians want all economic sectors to restart as soon as possible, according to an Ipsos survey published in newspaper Corriere della Sera on Saturday. The government is considering whether to allow shops to open earlier than on May 18 as currently planned.

• Civil protection authorities reported 1,083 cases for the 24-hour period -- the fewest since May 5 -- compared with 1,327 a day earlier
• Confirmed cases now total 218,268
• Daily fatalities fell to 194 from 243 on Friday, with a total of 30,395 reported since the start of the pandemic in late February

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