Rome, Oct 16 (IANS): Italy has set a new record for single-day Covid-19 cases, with a total of 8,804 people testing positive in a span of 24 hours which took the country's overall infection tally to 381,602, according to the Health Ministry.

The Ministry said that Thursday's number was up from 7,332 the previous day. Both grim figures surpassed the previous high of 6,554 recorded on March 21, reports Xinhua news agency.

The total number of active cases reached 99,266 on Thursday, the highest level since May 4.

Also on Thursday, Italy reported 83 new deaths, the highest since June 5, but still far below the 793 fatalities registered on March 21.

The new figure has increased the death toll to 36,372.

According to the Ministry, 586 people are currently in intensive care units, 47 more from the previous day but well below the 2,857 on March 21.

Meanwhile, hardest-hit region in the country was Lombardy, which includes Italy's financial capital of Milan.

The region, which accounts for around one-sixth of Italy's population, reported 2,067 new cases, nearly a quarter of all the new infections on Thursday.

Lombardy was also the hardest hit region in the first stage of the pandemic.

As of Thursday Lombardy has registered a total of 118,711 cases, around 30 per cent of the national total.

In at least three of Italy's 20 regions -- Campania, Liguria and Lombardy -- localized lockdowns have been imposed in an effort to contain infection clusters.