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ROME, June 21-- Italy's Ministry of Health said on Sunday that 24 people died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours -- almost all of them in one region -- the lowest single-day deaths recorded since March 2 and the strongest sign yet that Italy has emerged from the grip of the coronavirus pandemic. Italy largely focused on other matters over the weekend, which included the country's first regular-season football games since before the lockdown and the fate of Alex Zanardi, a race car driver-turned-Paralympian who was fighting for his life after a serious road accident Saturday. The news regarding the coronavirus outbreak was overwhelmingly positive compared to past weeks and months. Not only was the low one-day death toll, but also the 224 new infections in Italy, the lowest in five days and the 21st time in 22 days the total was below 500. A total of 440 people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours, bringing that total to 182,893. Meanwhile, 18,510 people were recovering at home with symptoms, 76 fewer than a day earlier. Those in intensive-care units were down by four to 148, and those hospitalized with symptoms totaled 2,314, down by 160. Among Italy's 20 regions, 16 recorded no COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, which had not happened since February. But Lombardy, Italy's most populous region and the region hardest hit by the pandemic, continued to bear the brunt of the outbreak, with 128 of the country's 224 new cases and 13 of 24 deaths over the last 24 hours. | 
