Most new cases in Italy are in northern region

The region in northern Italy where the country's COVID-19 outbreak began in February accounted for some 85 percent of new cases in the 24-hour period ending on Monday.The 26 deaths registered since Sunday is the lowest one-day number since early March, before the entire country went into lockdown to contain spread of infection.

The region in northern Italy where the country's COVID-19 outbreak began in February accounted for some 85 percent of new cases in the 24-hour period ending on Monday. According to data from the Health Ministry, Lombardy region registered 259 new cases out of the 303 for the entire nation since Sunday evening. All of Italy's other regions had fewer than a dozen new cases, while several had none.

Italy has counted 237,290 COVID-19 cases since the and 34,371 deaths. The 26 deaths registered since Sunday is the lowest one-day number since early March before the entire country went into lockdown to contain spread of infection. Italy has been gradually removing lockdown restrictions, with movie houses and theaters able to reopen on Monday. But schools won't be back this academic year, with pupils expected back in classrooms sometime in September.