Italy Lockdown Success Challenged by New Europe Virus Surge

After suffering one of Europe’s earliest and fiercest outbreaks, Italy emerged as an unlikely role model for its handling of the pandemic. The country managed to reduce infections dramatically in June and July after two months of strict lockdown, while its fatality rate, once one of the world’s highest, fell to a handful per day. The White House’s coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx and top infectious-disease expert Anthony Fauci both praised the country’s response in recent days.