MILAN: Italy reported 460 coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday against 460 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 23,696 from 21,267 the day before.

Some 349,472 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 363,767, the health ministry said.

Italy has registered 106,799 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 3.46 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 28,424 on Thursday, slightly down from 28,438 a day earlier.

There were 260 new admissions to intensive care units, down from 300 on Wednesday.

The total number of intensive care patients increased to 3,620 from a previous 3,588.