Total COVID cases in Italy pass one million mark, deaths surge -health ministry

The total number of coronavirus cases registered in Italy since the start of the pandemic surpassed the one million mark on Wednesday, the health ministry said, with 32,961 new infections recorded in the past 24 hours.

The total number of coronavirus cases registered in Italy since the start of the pandemic surpassed the one million mark on Wednesday, the health ministry said, with 32,961 new infections recorded in the past 24 hours. The daily tally was down from the 35,098 cases reported on Tuesday.

The ministry also reported 623 COVID-related deaths, up from 580 the day before and the highest figure since April 6. A total of 42,953 people have now died because of coronavirus in Italy since the disease came to light in February.

There were 225,640 coronavirus swabs carried out in the past day, the ministry said, against a previous 217,758. The northern region of Lombardy, centred on Italy's financial capital Milan, remained the hardest hit area on Wednesday, reporting 8,180 new cases, sharply down on Tuesday's 10,955.

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