COVID in Italy: record high of 78,313 new cases

ROME. KAZINFORM - There have been a record 78,313 new cases of COVID-19 in Italy in the last 24 hours, the biggest daily surge since the start of the pandemic, and 202 more victims of the virus, the health ministry said Tuesday, ANSA reports.

That compares with 30,810 new cases and 142 more victims Monday.

Case tallies have surged across the country amid the rise of the more infectious Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Some 1,034,677 more tests have been done, compared to 343,968 Monday.

The positivity rate is down from 8.9% to 7.57%.

Intensive care cases are up 19 to 1,145 and hospital admissions up 366 to 10,089.