Italy's coronavirus deaths slow, offering glimmer of hope

A woman wearing a protective mask walks outside Castel Sant'Angelo, as Italy tightens measures to try and contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Rome, Italy March 23, 2020. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

ROME (Reuters) - The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy rose by 602 on Monday, the smallest increase for four days, while the number of new cases also slowed, raising hope that the most aggressive phase of the epidemic may be passing.

The Civil Protection Agency said the number of fatalities from the month-old contagion stood at 6,077, while confirmed cases totalled 63,927, an increase of 4,789 over the past 24 hours -- the smallest rise for five days.