Italy could soon reclaim a record that nobody wants — the most coronavirus deaths in Europe — after the health care system again failed to protect the elderly and the government delayed imposing new restrictions.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Italy was the first country in the West to be slammed by Covid-19 and, after suffering a huge wave of death in spring, brought infections under control.

Italy then had the benefit of time and experience heading into the fall resurgence because it trailed Spain, France and Germany in recording big new clusters of infections. Yet the virus spread fast and wide, and Italy has added 28,000 dead since September 1.

"Obviously there needs to be some reflection," Guido Rasi, former executive director of the European Pharmaceutical Agency, told state TV after Italy reported a pandemic-high record of 993 deaths in one day.

Italy could overtake Britain despite having six million people fewer than the UK's 66 million, and would trail only the much larger US, Brazil, India and Mexico.