Italy confirms 1,210 new COVID-19 cases

ROME

Italy reported 1,210 more cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 259,345, the country's Health Ministry said Sunday.

Seven more fatalities were confirmed, raising the death toll to 35,437, with a total of 505,470 people recovering, the ministry said in a statement.

The country has nearly 18,500 active cases, it added.

Infections in the country have been on the rise since the beginning of August.

Health Minister Roberto Speranza said the country did not require more strict quarantine measures against the outbreak.

"Italy is not in a situation that requires strict quarantine and restriction of travel between regions," Speranza said in a statement.

The statement came after Italy reported 1,071 more infections of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, topping 1,000 daily cases for the first time since mid-May.

Speranza added that there were currently fewer people in intensive care units.

Italy has been one of the worst-hit countries globally but has managed to contain the outbreak thanks to strict lockdown measures that the government started easing only in May.

Since it originated in China last December, the coronavirus pandemic has claimed nearly 806,000 lives in 188 countries and regions.

The US, Brazil, India, and Russia are currently the worst-hit countries.

Over 23.2 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries exceeding 14.9 million, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar