MILAN, December 17, 2021, SPA -- Italy reported 120 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday against 123 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 28,632 from 26,109, according to Reuters. Italy has registered 135,421 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 5.34 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 7,520 on Friday, up from 7,338 a day earlier. There were 70 new admissions to intensive care units, down from 101 on Thursday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 923 from a previous 917. --SPA 22:01 LOCAL TIME 19:01 GMT 0031 www.spa.gov.sa/w1666750