Italy's national tally of coronavirus cases has reached 21,157, with the death toll hitting 1,441, according to a daily bulletin from the Civil Protection Agency.

Compared to Friday, contagions have increased by around 20% and fatalities by 14%. The fatality rate fell slightly while remaining high, from 7.2% to 6.8%. The number of deaths reported neared 175 deaths on Saturday in the country.

The number of patients in intensive care – a closely watched figure given the shortage of hospital beds in the worst-hit regions – rose by 14%, to 1,518.

The outbreak remains concentrated in northern Italy, with 11,685 cases in Lombardy, the region around Milan. But in Lazio, the region comprising Rome, cases have increased by nearly 30%, to 357.