Cover photo: Manuel Silverstri/Reuters

Italy has confirmed that 608 more people have died from the COVID-19 coronavirus  while the number of cases have increased by 4,789 over the past 24 hours.

And while the numbers are still extremely high, they also offer a glimmer of hope to the nation as it means both figures have dropped for the second day in a row.

On Saturday, the death toll rose by 793 and new cases increased by 6,557. On Sunday, the death toll rose by 651 and new cases increased by 5,560.

“Today we can confirm the downward trend,” said Giulio Gallera, senior health official in the northern region of Lombardy, which has been badly hit by the virus. “We can say that this is the first positive day, it’s not the time to sing victory but finally we see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

The figures suggest that Italy’s strict social-distancing measures, such as the closure of non-essential business activities, may be slowing the outbreak.