The health ministry in Italy recorded 56,263 new COVID-19-related cases on Sunday, compared to 70,520 the day before, but the daily death toll declined to 79 from 143.

Since the breakout of COVID-19 in February 2020, Italy has recorded 162,688 deaths, the second greatest toll in Europe behind the United Kingdom and the ninth worst in the world. To far, the government has registered 16.1 million instances.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals, excluding those in intensive care, was 9,895 on Sunday, down from 9,914 the day before.