(ANSA) - Rome, March 23 - The death toll of doctors in the coronavirus crisis has risen to 24, the national federation of doctors' guilds FNOMCEO said Monday.

The last two deaths were Rosario Lupo, a coroner in Bergamo, and Giuseppe Fasoli, a retired GP from the Brescia area who had returned to service for the emergency.

The toll includes retired doctors who are no longer active, FNOMCEO said.

Some 4,824 health operators have now been infected, twice as many as China, the Higher Health Institute (ISS) said Monday.

Lombardy is the worst-hit Italian region and Emilia-Romagna is the second-worst hit. Italy has had more deaths than China.

It is urgent to carry out "blanket" swabs on all health workers on the front line against the coronavirus, FNOMCEO President Filippo Agnelli told ANSA Monday.

The instruction from the technical committee to "extend the use of the swabs to all health staff" has not been respected by the "vast majority of regions", he said.

"Doctors are continuing to die and this situation is unacceptable".

