MILAN: Italy reported 301 coronavirus-related deaths on Monday against 217 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 8,444 from 13,158.

Italy has registered 119,539 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 3.97 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 20,635 on Monday, slightly down from 20,662 a day earlier.

There were 132 new admissions to intensive care units, up from 114 on Sunday. The total number of intensive care patients fell marginally to 2,849 from a previous 2,862.

Some 145,819 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 239,482, the health ministry said.