The health ministry said Thursday that mortality rates rose by over 20% in October in many of the cities it was watching as part of its COVID-19 monitoring.
It said the mortality rate was up by 22% in northern Italy and by 23% in southern and central Italy in October, compared to the average for the previous five years.
It said there was a "significant" number of excess deaths in many cities, including Turin, Genoa, Milan, Rome, Bari and Palermo.
The ministry said the data shows the same "strong increase in mortality observed during the first phase of the COVID-19".
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