Italy has been a hotspot for the coronavirus outbreak and was one of the first countries outside of China to see the disease skyrocket. On Sunday, the central European country received some encouraging news, as Italy's Civil Department announced the lowest daily death toll in over two weeks, 525, for a total of 15,887.

The number of patients in intensive care units also dropped for the second day in a row and the total of confirmed cases also rose by less than the day before. Additionally, the number of recovered patients rose by nearly 900.

All signs now point to the spread of COVID-19 reaching a plateau in Italy. The government first imposed a nationwide lockdown in response to the global pandemic on March 9. The virus first began to break out in northern Italy on Feb. 21.

Italy is not alone in seeing the fading effects of COVID-19. Spain, which went under nationwide lockdown on March 28, recently saw its death toll decrease for three days in a row. France, which went into lockdown on March 17, has also seen its death toll drop daily over the last three days.

“We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez said Saturday.

Johns Hopkins University reports that there have been over 1.26 million confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide, leading to over 68,000 deaths.

Worst-hit Italy saw intensive care virus patients drop for the first time this weekend
Worst-hit Italy saw intensive care virus patients drop for the first time this weekend AFP / Miguel MEDINA
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