Italy reports 7 coronavirus-related deaths

ROME

Italy on Saturday reported seven more fatalities due to the novel coronavirus, bringing the country's death toll to 34,945.

According to the latest data by the Health Ministry, the tally of active infections dropped to 13,303.

A total of 188 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, carrying the tally of cases to 242,827.

Meanwhile, recoveries continued to climb, jumping to 194,579 as 306 more patients left intensive care in the last 24 hours.

To this date, over 5.95 million tests have been conducted across the country.

Since first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions.

The pandemic has killed more than 561,000 people worldwide, with an excess of 12.5 million confirmed cases and over 6.9 million recoveries, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Havva Kara Aydin