Italy reports 248 deaths from coronaviurs, Omicron prevalence varies between 33% and 100%

Italy reported 149,512 COVID-19 related cases on Sunday, after 180,426 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths fell to 248 from 308.

Italy has registered 141,104 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 8.71 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 – not including those in intensive care – stood at 18,719 on Sunday, up from 18,370 a day earlier.

There were 128 new admissions to intensive care units, down from 141 on Saturday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 1,691 from a previous 1,677.

Some 927,846 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with 1.22 million previously, the health ministry said.

The Italian Higher Health Institute (ISS)  said Omicron prevalence varied between 33% and 100% according to the Italian region examined.

The highly infectious Omicron strain of the coronavirus accounted for 81% of COVID-19 cases detected in Italy on January 3, the ISS said.
The older Delta variant accounted for 19%, the ISS said.

Photo – Health worker dresses himself with Covid-19 protection in the ICU of Sant’Orsola Hospital in Bologna, Italy. EPA-EFE/MAX CAVALLARI