COVID-19: Italy today records lowest death rate in weeks.

According to Mailonline news;

Italy is to increase testing as it moves closer to the next phase in ending lockdown - as it records its lowest daily death toll for nearly two weeks with 525 fatalities taking the total 15,887 

Italy today recorded its lowest daily death toll from Coronavirus in more than weeks as the health minister spoke of a 'phase two' to ease the lockdown. 

The death toll from the COVID-19 epidemic rose by 525 to 15,887, the lowest number of fatalities reported in a day by the civil protection service since the 427 registered on March 19. 

There were 3,977 people in intensive care, a fall of 17 from 3,994 on Friday, when officials reported the first drop in intensive care numbers since the outbreak of the epidemic in the north of the country in late February.

In addition the number of confirmed cases rose to 128,948 from yesterday's 124,632, a lower increase than the day before, adding to signs that a nationwide lockdown since March 9 could be starting to bear fruit. 

Health Minister Roberto Speranza has outlined plans for broader testing and beefed-up health services as part of a package of measures that would follow a future easing of the country's coronavirus lockdown. 

With more than 15,000 dead, Italy has the world's highest death toll from disease, accounting on its own for almost a quarter of all deaths globally. But the government is also grappling with the economic devastation caused by the sudden halt to business across the country.

Speranza said he had issued a note outlining five principles around which the government planned to manage the so-called 'phase two' of the emergency, when lockdown restrictions begin to be eased but before a full return to normal conditions.

He said social distancing would have to remain, with wider use of individual protection devices such as face masks, while local health systems would be strengthened, to allow a faster and more efficient treatment of suspected COVID-19 cases.

Testing and 'contact tracing' would be extended, including with the use of smartphone apps and other forms of digital technology while a network of hospitals dedicated solely to treating COVID-19 patients would be set up.