UPDATE 1-Italy reports 307 coronavirus deaths on Saturday, 23,641 new cases

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ROME, March 6 (Reuters) - Italy reported 307 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday against 297 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 23,641 from 24,036 the day before.

Some 355,024 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 378,463, the health ministry said.

Italy has registered 99,578 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak began in February last year, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh-highest in the world. The country has reported 3.05 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 20,701 on Saturday, up from 20,374 a day earlier.

There were 214 new admissions to intensive care units, down from 222 on Friday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 2,571 from a previous 2,525.

When Italy's second wave of the epidemic was accelerating quickly in the first half of November, hospital admissions were rising by about 1,000 per day, while intensive care occupancy was increasing by about 100 per day. (Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Catherine Evans)