A man waits to enter a supermarket in Bologna, Italy, March 20, 2020.(Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua)

Further 793 people died of coronavirus in Italy in the past 24 hours, taking the country's death toll to 4,825.

ROME, March 21 -- Italy reported 6,557 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, raising the total to 53,578 since the pandemic first broke out in its north on Feb. 21, according to the latest data provided by the Civil Protection Department managing the COVID-19 emergency.

Further 793 people died of coronavirus in Italy in the past 24 hours, taking the country's death toll to 4,825. The number of active coronavirus infections increased to 42,681, not counting recoveries and fatalities.

Recoveries were steadily growing as well, with 943 new recoveries declared on the day, and total at 6,072, Civil Protection Chief Angelo Borrelli told a press conference in late afternoon.