Italy reports highest number of daily COVID cases since pandemic began

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - Italy reported 44,595 new COVID-19 infections Thursday, the highest daily figure since the start of the pandemic.

Italian news agency ANSA reported that the previous record was 40,902 on Nov. 13, 2020.

With the latest daily figures, the number of overall infections in the country has reached over 5.51 million, according to the Health Ministry.

In the past 24 hours, 168 people in Italy lost their lives due to COVID-19, taking the country’s overall death toll to 136,245.

So far, 107.43 million vaccine doses have been administered throughout the country, with 46.17 million people fully vaccinated, while over 16.36 million people have received their third dose.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 5.38 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions, with more than 278 million cases reported worldwide, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Iclal Turan in Istanbul