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GUEST: Seema Gupta, an independent journalist based in Rome.

Over the weekend, Italy reported another 651 deaths from COVID-19, bringing the nation’s total death toll to over 5,000. That’s the highest of any country – including China – since the global outbreak began.

Streets and sidewalks, normally bustling, are deserted as the country remains on lockdown; Healthcare and emergency services are working past exhaustion; And Italy’s government is scrambling to find resources needed to stop the spread of the virus.

But are current efforts enough? And what will be needed for Italians to endure their tragic loss – and emerge from the country’s biggest health crisis in decades?

On our television program, we spoke to Seema Gupta, an independent journalist based in Rome, about the life or death struggles faced by the government, healthcare workers, and the public during this escalating crisis.