MILAN: Italy reported 197,552 COVID-19 cases on Saturday, up from 108,304 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths fell to 184 from 223.

Italy has registered 138,881 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 7.28 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 14,930 on Saturday, up from 14,591 on Friday.

There were 154 new admissions to intensive care units, up from 120 on Friday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 1,557 from Friday's 1,499.