ROME, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Italy reported 6,557 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, raising the total to 53,578 since the pandemic first broke out in its north on Feb. 21, according to the latest data provided by the Civil Protection Department managing the COVID-19 emergency.
Further 793 people died of coronavirus in Italy in the past 24 hours, taking the country's death toll to 4,825. The number of active coronavirus infections increased to 42,681, not counting recoveries and fatalities.
Recoveries were steadily growing as well, with 943 new recoveries declared on the day, and total at 6,072, Civil Protection Chief Angelo Borrelli told a press conference in late afternoon.
As for the 42,681 people currently positive, some 22,116 of them were under home confinement, another 17,708 were hospitalized, and 2,857 in intensive care.
"The spread of the coronavirus remains high, and in particular across those areas already under pressure," National Health Institute (ISS) President Silvio Brusaferro told the press conference.
Brusaferro added the spread of the COVID-19 was being detected across other areas as well, yet "still in limited numbers."
"The main reason behind the tough restrictions so far imposed (by the government) on people's movement is exactly to avoid the virus from spreading across the whole country as it is doing in the most affected areas," Brusaferro stressed.
In the latest effort to further reduce the movement of people -- with the double aim of limiting the spread and avoiding the public health system from being overwhelmed -- all public parks and gardens across the country were closed starting from Saturday morning, following a specific order from the Health Ministry.