The number of new coronavirus cases in Italy is the lowest in nearly a fortnight, suggesting the country's social distancing measures are working.

New infections have risen by 4,050 - the lowest daily figure since March 18 - hitting a total 101,739 from a previous 97,689.

But the death toll has climbed by 812 to 11,591, the Civil Protection Agency said on Monday, reversing two days of declines in the daily rate.

The World Health Organisation said the country's epidemic should start to stabilise as Italy announced the lockdown will last until at least mid-April.

The number of new coronavirus cases in Italy rose by just 4,050, the lowest amount since March 17, hitting a total 101,739 from a previous 97,689

The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy climbed by 812 to 11,591, reversing two days of declines

Medical personnel and patients are pictured at a newly set up intensive care unit in the physiotherapy assistance gym of the Poliambilanza hospital in Brescia

In Rome, coronavirus sanitation workers go through the Ater buildings with sprayers on Monday

Italy's largest daily toll from the five-week-old epidemic was registered on Friday, when 919 people died

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said any easing of containment measures would be done incrementally to ensure Italy does not give up gains it has made.

Health Minister Roberto Speranza later announced 'all containment measures would be extended at least until Easter' on April 12.

Some 5,217 cases were recorded on Sunday and 5,974 on Saturday.

Of those originally infected nationwide, 14,620 had fully recovered on Monday, compared to 13,030 the day before.

There were 3,981 people in intensive care, up from a previous 3,906.

Civil Protection Service Chief Angelo Borrelli said: 'We saw 1,590 people recover in the past 24 hours. This is the highest number of recoveries recorded since the start of the pandemic.'

Italy has registered more deaths than anywhere else in the world and accounts for more than a third of all global fatalities from the virus.

The Italian government has enforced a strict lockdown on citizens in a bid to stem the coronavirus. Streets like this one in Naples have become deserted

The World Health Organisation said the country's epidemic should start to stabilise after weeks in lockdown (pictured, a park in Genova)

The country's largest daily toll from the five-week-old epidemic was registered on Friday, when 919 people died, and there were 889 deaths Saturday and 756 Sunday.

Riot and looting fears in 'powder keg' southern Italy Rioting has ripped through the south of Italy as PM Giuseppe Conte faced claims he had lost his grip there. Gangs have been using social media to plot attacks on stores in Palermo, Sicily. Police were deployed to the streets but there are fears the mafia may take over. City Mayor Leoluca Orlando told daily La Stampa: 'We need to act fast, more than fast. Distress could turn into violence.' Advertisement

But a study suggests Italy will see no new coronavirus cases by the period between May 5 and 16.

The Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance has studied the rate of infections and believes the virus will be practically eliminated in the country by early May.

And the WHO's top emergencies expert Dr Mike Ryan said the country should witness a stabilisation in new cases due to its strict lockdown since March 9.

He said: 'What we are likely to see, if you imagine the lockdown and stringent measures in Italy are now in place 2-3 weeks ... we should start to see stabilisation because the cases we see today really reflect exposures two weeks ago.

'So we do hope that Italy and Spain are nearly there on that ... And going down [on case numbers] isn't just about a lockdown and let go.'

Hospitals in the north of Italy, particularly the Lombardy region around Milan, have been overloaded with intensive care patients and lifesaving treatment has had to be rationed.

Hospitals in the north of Italy, particularly the Lombardy region around Milan, have been overloaded with intensive care patients

Medical staff in Rome make the heart sign at Cremona Hospital on Monday as they continue to help patients battle the coronavirus

Deputy Health Minister Pierpaolo Sileri said the latest data showed Italy was on course to start seeing 'a drop in the number of people infected within seven to 10 days'.

Coronavirus death toll among doctors climbs to 61 in Italy with 11 new fatalities in the last two days Sixty-one doctors have died of coronavirus in Italy after 11 died in just two days. The huge leap is expected to be in Lombardy, the worst hit region in the crisis. But the national federation of doctors guilds FNOMCEO have not disclosed where they died. Advertisement

The number of people currently sick with the illness is still growing - and the number of daily deaths is still high.

The Mediterranean country's world-topping death toll grew by 812 in 24 hours to 11,591 on Monday.

The number of infections recorded since the start of the crisis last month have surpassed 100,000.

Health official said one of Monday's most encouraging figures was the drop from 25,392 on Sunday to 25,006 in the number of people in Lombardy currently testing positive for COVID-19 .

The figure had been growing continuously for over a month.

Lombardy's Chief Medical Officer Giulio Gallera said: 'The data are better but our work continues.'

The latest data came out nearly three weeks into a national lockdown that has emptied cities and paralysed most forms of business life.

Italian officials are expected to extend the closure and ban on public gatherings before they are due to expire on Friday.