Italy reports 253 coronavirus deaths on Friday, 20,499 new cases - health ministry

Italy reported 253 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday against 308 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 20,499 from 19,886 the day before.

Some 325,404 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with 443,704 previously, the ministry said.

Italy has registered 97,227 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh-highest in the world. The country has reported 2.9 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19, excluding those in intensive care, stood at 18,292 on Friday, increasing from 18,257 a day earlier.

There were 188 new admissions to intensive care units, up from 178 on Thursday. The total number of intensive care patients rose to 2,194 from a previous 2,168.

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.