Italy recorded its most deaths from the coronavirus in a single day, more proof it is now the hardest-hit place on earth

• Italy recorded 168 new deaths from the coronavirus on Tuesday night, marking the highest leap in fatalities within a single day.
• The total death toll is now at 631 in Italy alone. The number of infections also soared past 10,000 on Tuesday.
• Its number of infections and deaths are second only to China, which has been recording a dramatic improvement in the outbreak.
• The jump in fatalities took place on the first day of a nationwide lockdown on the country's 60 million citizens to prevent further spread and protect the vulnerable.
• The country's stretched medical workers are already dealing with shortages in supplies and forced to make priorities in who they treat first.
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Italy recorded 168 new deaths of the coronavirus on Tuesday night - its highest death toll in a single day from the coronavirus - further confirming that it is now the hardest-hit country in the world.

As of Wednesday morning, a total of 631 people are now dead, and 10,149 are infected. The leap in numbers means Italian fatalities are just over 14% of the global death toll, which stands at around 4,200.

Its death toll and total number of cases are second only to mainland China, where the coronavirus broke out last December.

China, however, appears to be turning a corner with the disease, having recorded fewer and fewer new cases every day.

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte put the entire country on lockdown on Tuesday, mandating a "stay at home" policy, closing large gatherings and cultural centers, banning all but essential travel, and limiting the opening hours of many shops and restaurants.

Despite these measures Italy's medical system is under enormous pressure to handle the cases. Doctors have been working back-to-back shifts and are making agonizing decisions over who to prioritize for treatment - and are reportedly opting to favor the young and healthy over older patients.

Italy detected its first three cases in late January.

• Read more:
• Medical workers at the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy are working days on end as the disease continues to grip the country
• Faced with tough choices, Italy is prioritizing young COVID-19 patients over the elderly. That likely 'would not fly' in the US.
• Italy is in a nationwide lockdown over the coronavirus. Here are the rules all 60 million citizens now have to follow.
• Everything we know about the coronavirus outbreak