Infection of 10-29-yr-olds driving rise in COVID-19 contagion says ISS

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 30 - Silvio Brusaferro, the head of the Higher Health Institute (ISS), said Friday that contagion among young people was the driving force of the recent upswing in COVID-19 cases in Italy.
    "Infection is growing in many European countries and it is rising in Italy too," Brusaferro told a press conference to present the weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the ISS and the health ministry.
    "There are 3,845 towns and cities with at least one case, almost 900 more than last week.
    "The circulation of the virus is taking place above all among young people, aged 10 to 29".
    Gianni Rezza, the health ministry's director of prevention, stressed that young people, the last group to be able to have jabs, were signing up in big numbers to get vaccinated now that they can.
    "This is important because the youngsters are driving the infection," Rezza said.
    A flash study by the ISS, meanwhile, showed that the Delta variant accounted for 94.8% Italian COVID cases on July 20.
    Italy's COVID-19 Rt transmission number has risen to 1.57 and the nation's incidence of cases for every 100,000 inhabitants has gone up to 58, according to the monitoring report.
    The figures were 1.26 and 41 respectively in last week's report.
    A Rt number above 1 indicates the epidemic is in a phase of expansion.
    An incidence of over 50 means tracing and tracking cases is difficult.
    Brusaferro said that the Rt is forecast to stabilize next week while adding that "we are in a period in which we must move with great prudence".
    Rezza said that the good news was that "the cases are increasingly but less quickly than in recent weeks".
    He added that a third COVID-19 vaccine dose will probably be offered, at least to the most fragile members of society, but said no decision has been taken yet. (ANSA).