ROME (Reuters) – Italy reported 414 coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday against 548 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 18,020 from 20,331.
Some 121,275 swab tests were carried out in the past day, the ministry said, against a previous 178,596.
Italy has registered 77,291 COVID-19 deaths since its outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, the second highest toll in Europe and the sixth highest in the world. The country has also reported 2.220 million cases to date, the health ministry said.
Patients in hospital with COVID-19 stood at 23,291 on Thursday, up 117 from the day before. There were 156 admissions to intensive care units, compared with 183 on Wednesday.
The current number of intensive care patients rose by 16 to 2,587, reflecting those who died or were discharged after recovery.
When Italy’s second wave of the epidemic was accelerating fast in the first half of November, hospital admissions were rising by about 1,000 per day, while intensive care occupancy was increasing by about 100 per day.
(Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Crispian Balmer)
