The country’s civil protection agency released a statement on Thursday evening saying the number of overall cases had risen to 650.
That number includes around 40 people who had been infected but are now fully recovered.
The agency’s chief, Angelo Borrelli, said the death toll had risen to 17 on Thursday.
Fourteen of the fatalities were in the northern region of Lombardy which is the epicentre of the recent outbreak.
The region has over 400 infected cases with around 10 per cent of that number reported as recovered.
Most of the victims who have died were elderly and some had pre-existing medical conditions.
Italy has seen a huge surge in the number of cases since last Friday, when only three were reported.
Italy now has the highest number of people with the virus in Europe and the highest death toll.
It has also been a point of contagion with many cases in other countries involving people who returned home after travelling in infection-hit areas of northern Italy.
Italian authorities have scrambled to halt the spread of the virus.
Since Sunday, 10 towns in Lombardy and one in Veneto have been under complete lockdown, affecting some 50,000 residents.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte urged people “not to give in to panic and follow the advice of health authorities”.
Italian government ministers have called for calm and stressed that Italy remains a safe country to visit, as most of the country remains unaffected by the virus.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 80 per cent of those who are infected with the virus only suffer mild symptoms such as a headache or soar throat.
Around five per cent end up in a critical condition.
On the front pages of Italian newspapers, the top story is no longer the rising number of cases but appeals for calm.
The mayor of Milan, where many hotels and restaurants are half-empty, has called for some museums to reopen.
Despite Italy’s determination to combat the virus, Donald Trump has mentioned possible future travel restrictions to Italy, with Israel barring foreigners arriving on flights from Italy and Kuwait evacuating its nationals from Milan.
