ROMA 

The death toll in Italy from the coronavirus surged to 827 on Wednesday, as 196 more fatalities were confirmed over the past 24 hours, according to an official. 

Civil protection chief Angelo Borelli said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 10,590, while the total number of affected -- including deaths and recoveries -- reached 12,462.

Borrelli said that 196 more deaths were recorded over the past 24 hours.

To contain the virus, the Italian government has implemented a nationwide lockdown with schools and universities closed, and all events and gatherings cancelled. 

The novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, last December and has now spread to 114 countries.

The global death toll is now almost 4,300, with around 118,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has declared the outbreak “a global pandemic.”  

*Writing by Fahri Aksut