Italy reports 16 coronavirus deaths on Saturday, 6,513 new cases

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Matera

MILAN (Reuters) - Italy reported 16 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, down from 18 the day before, the health ministry said, and the daily tally of new infections fell to 6,513 from 6,619.

Italy has registered 128,063 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth-highest in the world. The country has reported 4.35 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 1,851 on Saturday, up from 1,812 a day earlier.

There were 25 new admissions to intensive care units, up from 20 on Friday and the total number of intensive care patients increased to 214 from a previous 201.

Some 264,860 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, up from a previous 247,486, the health ministry said.

(Reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by Giles Elgood and Christina Fincher)