Italy's daily coronavirus death toll and new cases both accelerate

A woman walks with a dog on Piazza del Campo, that hosts the Palio di Siena horse race twice a year, where grass has grown only since a strict lockdown has meant crowds of tourists and Italians can no longer visit the square, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in the medieval city of Siena, Italy, April 9, 2020. REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini

ROME (Reuters) - Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 610 on Thursday, up from 542 the day before, and the number of new cases also came in higher at 4,204 from a previous 3,836.

The daily tally of cases was the highest since April 5, and comes as a disappointment to a country in lockdown since March 9, anxious for clear signs that the illness is in retreat.