Italy reports 524 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, 13,571 new cases

ROME (Reuters) - Italy reported 524 coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, against 603 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 13,571 from 10,497.

Some 279,762 tests were carried out in the past day, against a previous 254,070.

Italy has registered 83,681 COVID-19 deaths since its outbreak came to light last February, the second-highest toll in Europe and the sixth-highest in the world. The country has also reported 2.41 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 22,469 on Wednesday, down 230 from a day earlier.

There were 152 new admissions to intensive care units, against 176 the day before. The total number of intensive care patients fell by 26 to 2,461.

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

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; editing by Gavin Jones)