Italy's daily coronavirus death toll lowest since March 19, but new cases rise

A woman wearing a protective face mask and gloves is seen in Capri, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Capri, Italy, April 24, 2020. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 420 on Friday, the smallest daily tally since March 19, the Civil Protection Agency said, but the number of new infections rose to 3,021 from 2,646 on Thursday.

Friday's death toll was down from 464 the day before.

The total of fatalities since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 25,969, the agency said, the second highest in the world after that of the United States.

A worker wearing protective clothing disinfects a vehicle after disembarking from a ferry in Capri, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Capri, Italy, April 24, 2020. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

The number of confirmed cases was 192,994, the third highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.

People registered as currently carrying the illness fell to 106,527 from 106,848 on Thursday, a fifth consecutive daily decline.

There were 2,173 people in intensive care on Friday against 2,267 on Thursday, maintaining a long-running decline. Of those originally infected, 60,498 were declared recovered against 57,576 a day earlier.

General view of an almost empty square in Capri, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Capri, Italy, April 24, 2020. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

The agency said 1.148 million people had been tested for the virus against 1.053 million the day before, out of a population of around 60 million.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer, editing by Gavin Jones)