>>>ANSA/Italy drops masks-outdoors mandate, reopens discos

(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 11 - Italy took a big step towards normality on Friday following an improvement in COVID-19 contagion figures, with the end of the obligation to wear facemasks outdoors and the reopening of the nation's night clubs.
    People are still obliged to wear facemasks in enclosed public spaces and in outdoor areas where crowds of people can form.
    The nation's night clubs, meanwhile, have been allowed to reopen, but only at 50% capacity for the moment.
    Health Undersecretary Andrea Costa said Thursday that Italy's COVID-19 restrictions are set to be eased further next month, while stressing that the return to normality will be a gradual process.
    Costa told RAI television that he could envisage a "softening" of the requirements related to the 'Super Green Pass', a health certificate that shows a person is vaccinated for the coronavirus or has recovered from it.
    The pass is currently necessary to do almost all leisure, cultural or sporting activities in Italy and is obligatory for over-50s.
    The undersecretary said he did not see the COVID-19 state of emergency, which is set to end on March 31, being extended.
    He added that he expects Italy's soccer stadiums to be able to be full to 100% capacity by the end of the season after government raised the limit from 50% to 75%.
    Italy's COVID-19 Rt transmission number and case incidence have stayed on a downward trend, according to the latest weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS).
    It said the Rt number has fallen from 0.93 last week to 0.89.
    An Rt over 1 indicates the epidemic is expanding.
    The incidence fell from 1,362 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants last week to 962 in this week's report.
    The pressure the pandemic is exerting on Italy's hospitals has continued to fall too.
    The report said the proportion of intensive-care places occupied by coronavirus sufferers dropped from 14.8% on February 3 to 13.4% on February 10.
    It said the proportion of ordinary-ward hospital beds taken up by COVID patients decreased from from 29.5% to 26.5%. (ANSA).