MILAN, Dec 30 - Italy reported 126,888 COVID-19 related cases on Thursday, against 98,030 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths rose to 156 from 148. Thursday"s infections mark a fresh record. Italy has registered 137,247 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth highest in the world. The country has reported 5.98 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 10,866 on Thursday, up from 10,578 a day earlier. There were 134 new admissions to intensive care units, up from 126 on Wednesday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 1,226 from a previous 1,185. A record 1.15 million tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 1.03 million, the health ministry said.