image1
People queue to take a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a pharmacy as COVID-19 infections rise in Rome, Italy, on December 31, 2021. (Photo by Reuters)

Italy reported 180,426 COVID-19 related cases on Saturday, after 186,253 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths fell to 308 from 360.

Italy has registered 140,856 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth highest in the world. The country has reported 8.55 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 18,370 on Saturday, up from 18,019 a day earlier.

There were 141 new admissions to intensive care units, up from 136 on Friday. The total number of intensive care patients dropped slightly to 1,677 from a previous 1,679.

Some 1.22 million tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with 1.13 million previously, the health ministry said.

(Source: Reuters)