Italy's COVID-19 Rt number down to 0.81

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 23 - Italy's COVID-19 Rt reproduction number has fallen to 0.81, down from 0.85 last week, according to the latest weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS), sources said Friday.
    The report, which covers the period between April 12 and 18, will be released later on Friday.
    An Rt number of over 1 indicates that the epidemic is in a phase of expansion.
    The report says that the incidence of COVID-19 cases fell to 157.4 for every 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 160.5 in the week of April 5-11, according to the sources.
    This is still far from the incidence of 50 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants that would make it possible to resume tracing and tracking of cases.
    The report says that pressure has eased slightly on the nation's health services.
    It says that the proportion of intensive-care places taken up by COVID patients is over the critical threshold of 30% in 12 regions-autonomous provinces, down from 14 last week.
    The national average remains above the critical threshold at 35% although the number of COVID patients in intensive care fell from 3,526 on April 13 to 3,151 on April 20. (ANSA).