(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 16 - The COVID-19 pandemic is in an "acute phase" in Italy, according to the latest weekly monitoring report of the coronavirus by the Higher Health Institute (ISS) and the health ministry.
The report said that the R number was over 1 in 16 regions and two autonomous provinces.
It said there were 4,913 COVID-19 outbreaks nationwide, including 1,749 new ones.
It said there was an increase in the risk of outbreaks linked to schools although transmission at school has been limited so far.
Italy's schools reopened for the first time since the start of the coronavirus emergency last month.
The report said that 10 regions were in danger of not having enough intensive-care places to meet demand as they are already close to the threshold of having 30% of capacity taken up by COVID patients.
The health ministry said Thursday that Italy had registered over 8,000 new COVID-19 cases in the previous 24 hours and that 83 sufferers of the coronavirus had died in a single day. (ANSA).
COVID-19 epidemic in acute phase in Italy says ISS
Almost 5,000 hotspots, R number over one in 16 regions