Coronavirus death toll in Italy's Lombardy rises by around 542 in a day - source

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in the northern region of Lombardy, which has borne the brunt of Italy's contagion, has risen by around 542 in a day to some 5,944, a source familiar with the data said on Saturday. The fatalities are broadly in line with Friday's tally of 541, which was the second highest since the outbreak emerged on Feb. 21.

The number of cases in the region, which includes Italy's financial capital Milan, increased by some 2,117 to roughly 39,415 the source said. On Friday there were 2,409 new cases.

The nationwide tally will be released at around 6.00 p.m. (1700 GMT). On Friday, the national death toll stood at 9,134, the highest in the world.