Italy records lowest number of new coronavirus deaths in 3 weeks, sparking hope of possible decline

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Signs Italy's lockdown is paying off as numbers of new coronavirus cases appears to have hit a plateau

Spain surpasses Italy in number of confirmed coronavirus cases. Amy Kellogg reports from Florence.

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Hard-hit Italy recorded its lowest number of new coronavirus deaths in three weeks, new data suggests, sparking hope that the pandemic's decline could be beginning.

Italian officials reported Sunday a total of 431 deaths over the past 24 hours, the lowest number since March 19.

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The nation has seen a number of low-end milestones, painting a more positive picture for a nation that until recently was the most infected nation in Europe. For the ninth consecutive day, admissions at ICUs and hospitalizations were down, relieving pressure on Italy’s health care system.

Around a week ago, data suggested that Italy had begun to flatten its curve, and that trend appears to have continued.

The overall number of positive cases continues to grow, but only because Italy has worked to increase its testing capacity.

As of Sunday, Italy has completed at least 1 million virus tests, doubling the number of tests from the end of March.

At least 156,363 people have tested positive for coronavirus, though officials note that the number might be as much as ten times higher, particularly in Lombardy, the epicenter of the Italian pandemic.

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A total of 19,899 people have died from the virus in Italy – the second-most deaths in the world after the United States.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.