MILAN: Italy reported 467 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday against 529 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 23,904 from 16,017.

Some 351,221 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 301,451, the health ministry said.

Italy has registered 109,346 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 3.58 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 29,180 on Wednesday, down from 29,231 a day earlier.

There were 283 new admissions to intensive care units, slightly up from 269 on Tuesday.

The total number of intensive care patients edged down to 3,710 from a previous 3,716.