BREAKING NEWS

Coronavirus: Death toll in Lombardy, Italy jumps by 319 in 24 hours

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in the northern Italian region of Lombardy, which has borne the brunt of a nationwide contagion, has risen by 319 in a day to 1,959, two sources with access to the data said on Wednesday.

The sources said the number of new cases in the region, which includes Italy's financial capital Milan, had increased by almost 1,500, with the tally of confirmed cases rising above 17,700.

The latest national death toll figures are due to be released later in the day. On Tuesday, the country-wide tally stood at 2,503.