Italy coronavirus death toll surges past 10,000; lockdown extension likely

Relatives attend the funeral of a woman who died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as Italy struggles to contain the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Seriate, Italy March 28, 2020. REUTERS/Flavio Lo Scalzo

MILAN (Reuters) - The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy barrelled past 10,000 on Saturday, a figure that made an extension of a national lockdown almost certain.

Officials said 889 more people died in the previous 24 hours, the second highest daily tally since the epidemic emerged on Feb. 21, and that total fatalities reached 10,023.