he Civil Protection Agency said on Tuesday, dashing hopes the

epidemic in the world's worst hit country was easing after more
encouraging numbers in the previous two days.

The death toll rose by 743 on Tuesday, the second highest daily tally
since the outbreak emerged in northern regions on Feb. 21, and up
steeply from the 602 recorded on Monday.

Italy has seen more fatalities than any other country, with latest figures
showing that 6,820 people have died from the infection in barely a
month.

The total number of confirmed cases hit 69,176 on Tuesday, but with
Italy testing only people with severe symptoms, the head of the Civil
Protection Agency said the true number of infected people was
probably 10 times higher.

"A ratio of one certified case out of every 10 is credible," Angelo

Borrelli told La Repubblica newspaper, indicating he believed some
700,000 people could have been infected.

The latest data comes as a disappointment to a country that has been

in lockdown for two weeks, with schools, bars and restaurants shut
and Italians forbidden from leaving their homes for all but essential
needs.

On Monday the government closed all businesses not deemed to be

essential to the nation's supply chain of vital requirements, and after
the latest figures Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stiffened fines for
people leaving their homes to up to 3,000 euros ($3,225) from a
previous maximum of 206 euros.