Italy reports 814 COVID-19 deaths on Friday, 24,099 new cases

A medical worker puts on health gloves as she visits a home of a patient suspected to be suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to carry out a swab test, as a part of an initiative by the Spallazani hospital to help people who struggle to leave their homes, in Rome, Italy, December 3, 2020. REUTERS/Remo Casilli

- Italy reported 814 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, against a record 993 on Thursday, and 24,099 new infections, up from 23,225 the day before, the health ministry said.

The first Western country hit by the virus, Italy has seen 58,852 COVID-19 fatalities since its outbreak emerged in February, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain. It has also registered 1.689 million cases.

There were 212,741 swabs carried out in the past day, down from a previous 226,729.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 stood at 31,200 on Friday, down 572 from the day before.

There were 201 new admissions to intensive care units, while the number of intensive care patients decreased by 30 to 3,567, reflecting those who died or were discharged after recovery.

When Italy's second wave of the epidemic was accelerating fast in the first half of November, hospital admissions were rising by around 1,000 per day, while intensive care occupancy was increasing by about 100 per day.

(Reporting by Gavin Jones, editing by Crispian Balmer)