The death toll reported on Thursday was the highest in a single day to date.

The number of cases also jumped by a new high of 769, reaching 3858, officials said at a press conference.

This is the total number of people in Italy confirmed to have contracted the virus since the beginning of the outbreak, including the deceased and 414 recovered patients.

The number of patients receiving intensive care also rose to 351 from 295 on Wednesday.

Around 1100 of those infected were in isolation at home while around 1700 were in hospital.

All of Italy’s 20 regions have now been affected, with the data showing the virus had reached the Aosta Valley on the French border.

Shortly after announcing the latest figures, the Italian government on Thursday unveiled a €7.5 billion economic rescue plan to deal with the impact of the outbreak.

The money will be used primarily to “increase the resources intended for the health services, civil protection and law enforcement,” according to Italian Finance Minister Roberto Gualtieri.

“[The money] will also help support incomes [of families] and support measures for the businesses and sectors ... impacted by the containment measures,” Gualtieri added.

The funding will force the government to raise its 2020 deficit by 0.3 per cent of gross domestic product.

Italy has already informed the European Commission about the extra deficit spending.

Italian officials have said they expect Brussels to approve the move, which it must under the 27-nation EU bloc’s strict budget rules for member states.

Italy ordered the closure of all schools and universities nationwide on Wednesday and decreed that all sports events would take place behind closed doors in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.

“We are focused on taking all measures for direct containment or delaying the spread of the virus,” Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte said on Wednesday.

“The health system risks going into overload and we will have a problem with intensive care if an exponential crisis continues.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 80 per cent of people who contract the new coronavirus recover without needing special treatment.

Around one out of every six people infected becomes seriously ill, while some 3.4 per cent of cases are fatal.