Deputy health min foresees 'controlled' rise in COVID cases

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 22 - Deputy Health Minister Pierpaolo Sileri said Tuesday that he expects the spread of COVID-19 to continue in Italy while stressing that he is hopeful this will happen in a controlled way.
    "Circulation of the virus will rise. It is undeniable," Sileri told InBlu Radio.
    "Contagions will continue to go up but they will do so in a gradual way, with the growth controlled via swabs and surveillance.
    "There are lots of hotspots and there will be an overlap with flu symptoms. But we do not have to worry.
    "You spark panic when you talk about a second wave. The second wave that we will experience all over the world is unlikely to be like the one of February and March because that would mean we are not using masks, not washing hands and being close to each other".
    One thing Sileri did express concern about is get-togethers with family and friends.
    "In previous months hospitals were amplifiers of the the virus, but that does not happen now because there are protocols, like there are in care homes," he said.
    "Today I am much more worried about family Sunday lunches and dinners with friends". (ANSA).