The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 26,977 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries so far to 199,414, according to the latest official tally released on Monday.

The past 24 hours saw a total of 333 new fatalities, compared to 260 a day earlier, Civil Protection Department officials said in a press conference.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,696 new recoveries pushed up to 66,624 the total number of cured patients since the pandemic first broke out in the northern Lombardy region.

Total active infections stood at 105,813, a decrease of 290 compared to the previous day.

The total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries stood at 199,414, which is 1,739 higher than the caseload on Sunday. The downward trend in new infections detected since last week continued on Monday.

The number of COVID-19 patients in serious and critical conditions also kept declining, with 1,956 people currently in intensive care, down by 53 compared to Sunday, and 20,353 people hospitalized, down by 1,019.

Up to 83,504 people are under home isolation because they are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms. The figure equates to 79 percent of all active cases.

Italy entered into a national lockdown on March 10 to contain the pandemic. The lockdown, expected to last until May 3, will be followed by a so-called Phase Two, which involves the gradual resumption of social, economic and productive activities.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Sunday that beginning May 4, the manufacturing, construction, and wholesale sectors can resume work. Following them are retailers, museums, galleries, and libraries on May 18 and bars, restaurants, hairdressers and beauty salons on June 1.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)