Italy has registered 3,678 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, the first time the country has exceeded 3,000 cases in a single day since April.

There were also 31 Covid-related deaths today against 28 yesterday — far fewer than at the height of the pandemic in Italy in March and April.

Italy was the first country in Europe to be slammed by Covid-19 and has the second-highest death toll after Britain in the continent, with 36,061 dying since the outbreak flared in February, according to official figures. It has also registered 333,940 cases.