ROME (Reuters) – Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 161 on Wednesday, against 162 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases fell to 665 from 813 on Tuesday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 32,330 the agency said, the third highest in the world after those of the United States and Britain.
The number of confirmed cases amounts to 227,364 the sixth highest global tally behind those of the United States, Russia, Spain, Britain and Brazil.
People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 62,752 from 65,129 the day before.
There were 676 people in intensive care on Wednesday, down from 716 on Tuesday, maintaining a long-running decline.
Francesco Vaia, health director of Rome’s Spallanzani infectious diseases hospital, said on Wednesday that of the 100-200 people dying daily of COVID-19 in Italy at present, he believed most were very old and were dying at home, not in hospital.
The Civil Protection Agency said that of those originally infected, 132,282 were declared recovered as of Wednesday against 129,401 a day earlier.
The agency said 2.038 million people have so far been tested for the virus, against 2.0 million on Tuesday, out of a population of around 60 million.
(Reporting by Gavin Jones)
