MILAN (Reuters) – Italy reported 41,247 COVID-19 related cases on Monday, against 77,029 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths rose to 326 from 229. Italy has registered 149,097 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth highest in the world. The country has reported 11.7 million cases to date. Patients in hospital with COVID-19 – not including those in intensive care – stood at 18,675 on Monday, up from 18,498 a day earlier. There were 70 new admissions to intensive care un…