Italy records over 5,000 virus cases in last 24 hours

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Italy on Friday reported 5,143 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, according to figures released by the country's Health Ministry.

For the second day in a row, the country has registered over 5,000 daily infections.

While there are currently 58,752 active cases in Italy, more than 4.3 million people have been infected, over 127,900 died, and recoveries from the disease have exceeded 4.1 million since the beginning of the pandemic.

So far, Italy has administered 64.12 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines and nearly 29.2 million people have been fully vaccinated -- 54.06% of the population over 12 years old.

Italy on Thursday announced new measures against the rising number of cases due to the highly contagious Delta strain, extending the state of emergency until Dec. 31.

A proof of vaccination or a recent negative test result, called "green certification" by Italy's Health Ministry, will be required to participate in some social events, including indoor dining.