ROME, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Italy reported a third successive record tally of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with new infections hitting 54,762 against 50,599 a day earlier, the health ministry said. The number of coronavirus-related deaths rose to 144 from 141 on Friday. Italy has registered 136,530 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. It has reported 5.57 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 8,892 on Saturday, up from 8,812 on Friday. There were 106 new admissions to intensive care units, against 102 on Friday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 1,071 from a previous 1,038. Some 969,752 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 929,775 the health ministry said.