Italian soldiers with face masks are on duty at Milan Central Railway Station in Milan, Italy, on March 9, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

The number of new coronavirus cases in Italy jumped dramatically on Tuesday, with more than 3,500 new cases, pushing the cumulative total number to over 30,000, according to new data released by the Civil Protection Department.

The number of the dead reached 2,503 and that of recovered individuals rose to 2,941, compared to 2,158 and 2,749, respectively, a day earlier.

There are 26,062 active cases in Italy, up from 23,073 a day earlier. Including the dead and the recovered, the total confirmed cases reached 31,506 on Tuesday, comparing to 27,980 cases on Monday.

The total number of active cases in Italy is far higher than in any other country, according to the World Health Organization.

The number of Italians in intensive care passed 2,000 for the first time, totaling 2,060, up from 1,851 reported on Monday. The latest figures show 11,108 people resting in isolation at home and 12,894 hospitalized with symptoms, compared to 10,197 and 11,025, respectively, on Monday.

Angelo Borrelli, head of Italy's Civil Protection Department, said the increase on Tuesday may not be statistically important if the rate of increase drops over the next few days.

"The trend we are experiencing in this period ... the next week will be more significant than the data between yesterday and today," Borrelli, who is also the national commissioner in charge of the coronavirus emergency, said in a press briefing. "It is too early to understand what is happening or to make predictions about the spread of the virus."

Borrelli said that it is difficult to speculate about the spread of coronavirus to the less industrialized southern parts of the country, which have seen a relatively mild number of cases compared to the more economically vibrant northern regions of the country.

"We cannot make judgments about the south," Borrelli said, adding that in whatever part of the country, "what is most important things is to limit movement and stay at home as much as possible, which is the only way to halt the spread of the virus."

As part of a wider effort to confront the spread of the coronavirus, Italy may shorten the preparation time for new doctors.

Minister of University and Research Gaetano Manfredi Tuesday proposed letting this year's crop of medical school graduates rush into the field as much as nine months ahead of schedule and to allow them to shorten residencies and to skip mandatory exams usually required before they go into the field.

Manfredi said the new doctors could play a key role in confronting the growing outbreak.

The move would give the health system around 10,000 new doctors to be used in clinics or homes for the elderly as a way to free up experienced colleagues who would be sent to the front lines.

Italy on Jan. 31 declared a six-month state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic. And a nationwide lockdown has been placed since March 10 until April 3 to stem the spread of the virus.