Italy has 262 new cases 4 months into outbreak

At the time, Italy's protocols called for coronavirus testing only on people who had been to China or come into contact with an infected person. The doctor on call ordered a test for Mattia Maestri anyway, given the gravity of his condition.

Italy has added another 49 deaths to its official coronavirus death toll as it approaches the four-month anniversary of the start of its outbreak. The civil protection agency said Saturday that Italy registered 262 new confirmed cases over the past 24 hours, with the hard-hit Lombardy region still tallying the most.

In all, Italy has reported 238,275 confirmed cases and 34,610 deaths since identifying its first domestic coronavirus infection on Feb. 21 in the Lombardy town of Codogno. The 38-year-old patient with that unpleasant distinction, had come down with pneumonia. At the time, Italy's protocols called for coronavirus testing only on people who had been to China or come into contact with an infected person.

The doctor on call ordered a test for Mattia Maestri anyway, given the gravity of his condition. Maestri recovered from COVID-19 and was on hand for the birth of his daughter. The Italian government began loosening virus lockdown restrictions last month. Public health officials say that while new cases are getting confirmed in much smaller numbers than before, they show the virus is still circulating.