Coronavirus cases in Italy 2020, by region and wave of infections
Italy, in fact, underwent three distinct phases in the fight against COVID-19. The first one started in late February, as the first cases in the country were detected. In this first stage, most of the contagion happened in the Northern regions. The Italian government reacted by implementing a strict lockdown that lasted until May, when the contagion curve started to flatten. Between June and September, the number of new cases was risible. The third phase started in October, when a second wave of infection, much bigger in magnitude than the first, struck the country. This time, as it is possible to see from the graph, also Central and Southern regions were heavily affected.