FILE - In this Monday, April 6, 2020 file photo, chairs and tables are piled in front of a bar in St. Mark's Square, in Venice during a lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Businesses across Europe, many with employees on temporary unemployment due to coronavirus restrictions, are waiting for government rules to ease before some can go back to work. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
Italy, one of the worst hit countries by the coronavirus pandemic, has fallen into recession after its economy slumped 4.7% in the first quarter of 2020, according to the preliminary estimate by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT).
This is the second consecutive negative quarter for Italy.
Earlier today, the EU reported its worst quarterly drop in economic activity on record.
