Italy reported 343 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday against 246 the day before, Reuters quoted the health ministry as saying, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 17,083 from 13,114 the day before.

Some 335,983 tests for Covid-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 170,633, the health ministry said.

Italy has registered 98,288 deaths linked to Covid-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh-highest in the world. The country has reported 2.95 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with Covid-19 — not including those in intensive care — stood at 19,570 on Tuesday, up from 19,112 a day earlier.