Italy starts to look ahead to 'phase two' as COVID-19 death toll slows

FILE PHOTO: A worker wearing protective garments sanitises the Duomo square, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in central Milan, Italy March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo/File Photo

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy reported its lowest daily COVID-19 death toll for more than two weeks on Sunday as authorities began to look ahead to a second phase of the battle against the new coronavirus once the lockdown imposed almost a month ago is eventually eased.

The toll from the world's deadliest outbreak reached 15,887, almost a quarter of the global death total, but the rise of 525 from a day earlier was the smallest daily increase since March 19, while the number of patients in badly stretched intensive care units fell for a second day running.