ANSA) – Rome, April 24 – Premier Giuseppe Conte has welcomed the outcome of Thursday’s EU summit, held via video conference, on the bloc’s response to the economic earthquake caused by the coronavirus crisis. European leaders agreed to set up a recovery fund tied to the EU’s multi-year budget and confirmed 540bn euros of support that will be distributed via existing mechanisms from 1 June. The European Commission will now draft a plan on how the recovery fund will be financed, which will be discussed at another video summit on May 6.
Conte and other southern European nations have been pressing for the fund to be financed by common EU euro bonds but the Netherlands and Germany have opposed this. Conte said that “great progress, unthinkable a few weeks ago” had been made.
“(There will be) a plan for the Recovery Fund by May 6,” said Conte.
“It will have to be of a sufficient size and allow the countries, above all those hit most hard, to be able to protect their social-economic fabric”.
Coronavirus: Number of infected in Italy down 851
ANSA) – Rome, April 23 – The Civil Protection Department said Thursday that 106,848 people are currently infected with the coronavirus in Italy, 851 fewer than Wednesday.
It was the fourth straight daily drop and the biggest since the start of the emergency.
The department said 57,576 people have recovered from COVID-19 here, a record rise of 3,033.
The previous record was Wednesday’s daily rise of 2,943.
It said 25,549 people have died with the coronavirus in Italy, up 464. That compares to Wednesday’s increase of 437.
