Italy reports 347 coronavirus deaths on Sunday, 14,245 new cases

Italy reported 347 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday against 364 the day before, the Health Ministry said.

This is just as the daily tally of new infections rose to 14,245 from 11,831.

Some 102,974 swab tests were carried out in the past day, the ministry said, against a previous 67,174.

Italy has registered 75,332 COVID-19 deaths since its outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth-highest in the world.

The country has also reported 2.155 million cases to date, the ministry said.

Patients in the hospital with COVID-19 stood at 23,075 on Sunday, up by 127 on the day before.

There were 154 admissions to intensive care units, compared with 134 on Saturday.

The current number of intensive care patients rose by 14 to 2,583, 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.