(ANSA) - Rome, April 7 - President Sergio Mattarella on Tuesday thanked Italy's doctors and nurses fighting the coronavirus battle saying they all too often paid with their lives.
    Speaking on World Health Day, he said "we must express gratitude and recognition towards doctors, nurses and all the operators who in these moments of coronavirus emergency find themselves in the front line.
    "Work done to the limits of their energy for a service that some of them have paid for with their lives.
    "With urging for a global commitment for health, setting aside national egoisms and privileges.
    "Because we are facing a dangerous pandemic due to a fearful virus, above all for the more elderly population and the weak people. And the national health services are essential bulwarks, so today's thanks must be translated into far-sighted nd lasting support".
    The death toll among Italian doctors from the coronavirus has risen to 94 after another five physicians died, the federation of doctors guild FNOMCEO said Tuesday.
    The five were Giancarlo Orlandini, Luigi Ravasio, Antonio Pouchè, Lorenzo Vella and Mario Ronchi.
    The federation of Italian nurse guilds, FNOPI, said 26 nurses have died in Italy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    It said 6,549 nurses have contracted the virus, 52% of the overall total of health workers in Italy infected.
    The number of Italian health workers infected with the coronavirus has risen to 12,681, the FNOMCEO federation said.
    "A solidarity-based commitment to health is the key to emerging from the pandemic," said FNOMCEO chief Filippo Anelli.
    Coronavirus Procurement Commissioner Domenico Arcuri said Tuesday "I think we'll be wearing face masks for a long time yet".
    He said "there is no 'free-everyone' (situation) in sight".
    Arcuri added that there had been an "intolerable speculation" on the prices of masks.
    "Watch out for mirages, more than 16,000 people have already died and others will die," he said, appealing to people not to leave their homes.
    New cases of COVID-19 will start dropping off at the beginning of May, experts who run a Facebook page analyzing data said Tuesday.
    Even then, however, "the overall number (of cases) will remain high," they said.