The number of people in Italy who have died since contracting the new coronavirus has risen to 79, according to the latest official data.

Some 400 new cases were reported on Tuesday, bringing the total number of people in Italy confirmed to have contracted the virus since the outbreak to 2,502.Of these 160 have recovered and 79 have died, according to official figures from the Italian Health Ministry and Civil Protection department. That means another 27 people passed away since Monday, while 11 were given the all-clear.
More than 25,800 people have now been tested in Italy for the Covid-19 virus, with around 10 percent of tests coming back positive. Some 1,000 people found to be infected have only mild symptoms and are in self-isolation at home.

Meanwhile 1,034 are receiving treatment in hospital, while another 229 are in intensive care. While 80 percent of all coronavirus cases are mild and result in full recovery, the symptoms can be life-threatening for elderly people.

The majority of cases are in Lombardy, the northern region home to Italy’s second biggest city, Milan. More than 1,500 people have now tested positive for coronavirus in Lombardy, where ten of the 11 towns under quarantine are located.