Italy reports 46 coronavirus deaths, 2,748 new cases

MILAN, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Italy’s health ministry on Saturday reported 46 coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, up from 30 during the prior period, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 2,748 from 3,023.

Italy has registered 131,274 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth-highest in the world. The country has reported 4.7 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 – not including those in intensive care – stood at 2,692 on Saturday, down from 2,742 a day earlier.

There were 16 new admissions to intensive care units, decreasing from 17 on Friday. The total number of intensive care patients fell to 367 from a previous 383.Some 344,969 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 271,556, the health ministry said.