Italy declares victory over virus in poorer south

Italian health officials have declared a long-sought victory over the coronavirus in poorer southern regions that were less prepared for the pandemic than the richer north.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had warned six weeks ago that Italy's ability to conquer COVID-19 depended on whether cases can stay largely contained to its northern epicentre around Milan.

The disease has now officially claimed 22,745 lives in the Mediterranean country of 60 million people -- a toll second only to the United States.

But Italy has still counted itself relatively lucky because the outbreak erupted in provinces with the best equipped medical staff.

Conte decided to gamble early by imposing the Western world's first peacetime national lockdown while the disease was still gathering force.

His team argued that the short-term economic pain would pay off by saving the health care system and allowing the country to gradually reopen in the weeks to come.

Italy's top health officials said on Friday that Conte's big bet had paid off.

"We have prevented the spread of contagions in southern regions," public health council chief Franco Locatelli told reporters "This is now a fact supported by figures."