Italy reported 361 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday, down from 483 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 18,627 from 19,978.
Some 139,758 swab tests were carried out in the past day, the ministry said, against a previous 172,119.
Italy has registered 78,755 COVID-19 deaths since its outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, the second-highest toll in Europe and the sixth-highest in the world. The country has reported 2.276 million cases to date, the health ministry said.
Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 23,427 on Sunday, up 167 from a day earlier.
There were 181 admissions to intensive care units, versus with 183 on Saturday.
The current number of intensive care patients rose by 22 to 2,615.
When Italy's second wave of the epidemic accelerated quickly in the first half of November, hospital admissions were rising by about 1,000 per day, while intensive care occupancy was increasing by about 100 per day.
(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
