![Italy](/index.php/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2020-05/Italy%20Tower%20of%20Pisa%202.jpg?itok=yTeT1mfl)
ROME, May 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – Italy posted a decrease in COVID-19 intensive care cases and hospitalisations, as the death toll pushed past the 30,000 mark, according to the latest number released by the country’s Civil Protection Department.
The nationwide total of active infections fell by 1,663 cases to 87,961, down from a total of 89,624 infections on Thursday.
Of those who tested positive for the virus, 1,168 are in intensive care (down by 143 patients compared with Thursday’s) and 14,636 are hospitalised with symptoms (down by 538 patients).
The rest – 72,157 cases, or 82 percent of those who tested positive – are quarantined at home as they are asymptomatic or have very light symptoms.
The death toll on Friday was 243, taking the total to 30,201 since the outbreak was first recorded in Italy’s Lombardy region on Feb 21.
The total number of COVID-19 infections, fatalities, and recoveries since the pandemic began, has risen to 217,185 cases over the past 24 hours, from 215,858 on Thursday.