Italy's virus toll tops 4,000 after new one-day record

• The total number of deaths was 4,032, with the number of infections reaching 47,021.
• The nation of 60 million now accounts for 36.6 percent of the world's coronavirus deaths.
• Italy has seen more than 1,500 deaths from COVID-19 in the past three days alone.

ROME: Italy on Friday reported a record 627 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, taking its overall toll past 4,000 as the pandemic gathered pace despite government efforts to halt its spread.

The total number of deaths was 4,032, with the number of infections reaching 47,021.

Italy's previous one-day record death toll was 475 on Wednesday.

The nation of 60 million now accounts for 36.6 percent of the world's coronavirus deaths.

Italy has seen more than 1,500 deaths from COVID-19 in the past three days alone.

Its current daily death rate is higher than that officially reported by China at the peak of its outbreak around Wuhan's Hubei province.