Italy reports 499 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, 9,660 new cases

Italy reported 499 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday against 329 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 9,660 from 7,925. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 20,317 on Tuesday, up marginally from 20,260 a day earlier. There were 158 new admissions to intensive care units, up from 145 the day before.

Italy reported 499 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday against 329 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 9,660 from 7,925. Some 244,429 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, against a previous 142,419, the health ministry said.

Italy has registered 89,344 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged last February, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the sixth-highest in the world. The country has reported 2.57 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 20,317 on Tuesday, up marginally from 20,260 a day earlier.

There were 158 new admissions to intensive care units, up from 145 the day before. The total number of intensive care patients declined to 2,214 from 2,252 on Monday. When Italy's second wave of the epidemic was accelerating quickly 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.