Europe: Italy 32,000 Dead, UK Lowest COVID-19 Deaths Day

The following are the latest developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in European countries.

LONDON -- Another 160 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Sunday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 34,796, the Department of Health and Social Care said Monday.

The figure marks the lowest daily increase in COVID-19 deaths since the nationwide lockdown began on March 24. It include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.

As of Monday morning, 246,406 people across the country have tested positive for the disease, said the department.

ROME -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 32,007 lives in Italy, bringing the total number of cases combining infections, fatalities and recoveries so far to 225,886, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department on Monday.

The death toll on Monday was 99, the first time with daily casualties lower than 100 since March 10. Recoveries rose by 2,150 from a day earlier, bringing the total to 127,326.

Nationwide, the number of active infections fell to 66,553, down from 68,351 on Sunday.

MADRID -- The Spanish Health Ministry confirmed Monday further reductions in the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths.

In the 24-hour period until midnight local time Sunday, 59 people lost their lives to coronavirus, taking the total number of confirmed deaths in the country to 27,709.

It is the second time in two days that the death toll for a 24-hour period has been below 100 (87 deaths confirmed during the previous 24-hour period), although the numbers should be viewed with some caution due to delays in collecting data over the weekend.

PARIS/BERLIN -- France and Germany on Monday jointly proposed that the European Commission borrow money on capital markets in the European Union's (EU) name and create a 500-billion-euro (546 billion U.S. dollars) recovery fund to help the coronavirus-battered European economies and regions.

Describing the proposal as "a major step forward," French President Emmanuel Macron told a joint video press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that it was the first time France and Germany agreed to let the EU raise debt jointly.

The proposal is seen as unprecedented since it overcomes objections from Germany and several other rich EU countries to the concept of collective borrowing.

PARIS -- France on Monday reported 131 deaths caused by the coronavirus in the last 24 hours as admissions to intensive care units (ICUs) fell below 2,000 for the first time since March 22, official figures showed.

In total, the coronavirus-related deaths stood at 28,239 -- 17,589 dead in hospitals and 10,650 in nursing homes and other medico-social establishments.

Currently, 19,015 people infected with the COVID-19 are hospitalized, 346 less than on Sunday, while the number of patients who required life support fell to 1,998, a one-day decrease of 89.