Italy reports 377 coronavirus deaths on Friday, 14,218 new cases

Italy reported 377 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday against 421 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 14,218 from 13,659 the day before. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 19,575 on Friday, down from 19,743 a day earlier. There were 132 new admissions to intensive care units, down from 147 on Thursday.

Italy reported 377 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday against 421 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 14,218 from 13,659 the day before. Some 270,507 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, virtually stable compared with a previous 270,142, the health ministry said.

Italy has registered 90,618 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 2.61 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 19,575 on Friday, down from 19,743 a day earlier.

There were 132 new admissions to intensive care units, down from 147 on Thursday. The total number of intensive care patients decreased slightly to 2,142 from a previous 2,151. 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.