ROME: Italy reported 77,029 COVID-19 cases on Sunday, down from 93,157 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths decreased to 229 from 375.

Italy has registered 148,771 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 11.62 million cases to date.

Italy reports 138,860 COVID cases on Sunday, 227 deaths

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 18,498 on Sunday, down from 18,615 a day earlier.

There were 105 new admissions to intensive care units, edging up from 104 on Saturday. The total number of intensive care patients rose to 1,431 from a previous 1,411.

Some 686,544 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 846,480, the health ministry said.