COVID-19: Rt number and incidence fall further - ISS

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 17 - Italy's COVID-19 Rt transmission number and its case incidence have fallen again, according to a draft of the weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS).
    It said the Rt number for the period between August 25 and September 7 was 0.85, down from 0.92 in last week's report.
    An Rt number over 1 indicates that the epidemic is in a phase of expansion.
    The draft of the report said that the incidence went down from 64 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants to 54.
    It said the proportion of intensive-care places taken up by COVID patients was down slightly at 6.1%.
    The report said the proportion for ordinary hospital-ward places was also down slightly at 7.2%.
    However, four Italian regions/autonomous provinces are now considered moderate COVID-19 risk, rather than low risk, up from three last week.
    They are Abruzzo, Molise and the autonomous provinces of Bolzano and Trento.
    Sicily, Calabria and the province of Bolzano, meanwhile, are the areas with the highest incidence. (ANSA).