ROME, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Italy reported a second successive record daily tally of COVID-19 cases on Friday, with new cases hitting 50,599 against 44,595 a day earlier, the health ministry said. The number of coronavirus-related deaths fell to 141 from 168 on Thursday. Italy has registered 136,386 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth-highest in the world. The country has reported 5.57 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 -- not including those in intensive care -- stood at 8,812 on Friday, up from 8,722 a day earlier. There were 102 new admissions to intensive care units, against 93 on Thursday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 1,038 from a previous 1,023. Some 929,775 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 901,450, the health ministry said.