Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte apologised to Italians on Friday for their economic hardships and promised a brighter future once the lockdown lifts. Italy will begin to emerge from the world's longest coronavirus shutdown on Monday and see whether two months of containment were enough to avoid a new contagion wave.

The Mediterranean country's death toll has officially reached 28,236 - second only to the United States - but its daily infection rates are back down to levels last seen in early March.

The length of Italy's lockdown means its economy is on course to contract more sharply than the eurozone's average.

Half the workforce is relying on state support and the same number told a poll published in the Corriere della Sera daily on Friday they were afraid of losing their job.

Conte admitted his government was late to pay out more than 50 billion euros ($55 billion) assigned to struggling families and businesses.

"There have been and continue to be some delays in the payments," Conte wrote on Facebook.

"I apologised on behalf of the government and assure you that we will continue to press for the payments and financing to be completed as soon as possible."