Coronavirus: Deaths up by 431, no. of infected rises 1,984

(ANSA) - Rome, April 12 - The Civil Protection Department said Sunday that 19,899 have died in Italy after contracting the coronavirus, up 431 with respect to Saturday.
    It is the lowest daily rise in the death toll since March 19 and compares to Saturday's increase of 619.
    The department said 102,253 people are currently infected with COVID-19 here, an increase of 1,984 and slightly down on Saturday's rise of 1.996.
    It said 34,211 people have recovered, up 1,677 with respect to Saturday.
    The total number of recorded cases in Italy, including those currently infected, the deceased and the recovered, is 156,363, up 4,092 on Saturday.
    The daily rise in the overall number of cases was 4,694 on Saturday. The recent trend for the number of COVID-19 cases in intensive care to fall continued, with 3,343 people in ICUs, down 38.
    "The trend is now a reliable one," said Luca Richeldi, a senior doctor at Rome's Gemelli hospital and a member of the government's CTS expert committee for the emergency.
    "When we put together the fall in the number of people in hospital, the patients in intensive care and the deceased, we can say that the measures which have been adopted and extended are having an impact on this virus".