MILAN: Italy reported 184,615 COVID-19 related cases on Thursday, against 196,224 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths rose to 316 from 313.

Italy has registered 140,188 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth highest in the world. The country has reported 8.15 million cases to date.

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Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 17,648 on Thursday, up from 17,309 a day earlier.

There were 156 new admissions to intensive care units, the same as on Wednesday. The total number of intensive care patients fell to 1,668 from a previous 1,669.

Some 1.18 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 1.19 million, the health ministry said.