COVID-19: GIMBE reports 43.2% rise in cases in 1 week

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 28 - The number of new COVID-19 cases registered in Italy in the week of October 20-26 was 25,585, an increase of 43.2% with respect to the 17,870 registered the previous week, the GIMBE health foundation said in its weekly coronavirus monitoring report on Thursday.
    The report said the rise could in part be explained by more cases being uncovered because more people are having tests after the Green Pass health certificate became obligatory on October 15 to access Italian places of work.
    The Green Pass shows that a person has been vaccinated for COVID-19, has recovered from it in the last six months or has tested negative in the last few days.
    So it is possible for people who do not want to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to obtain a Green Pass, but they must keep having tests every few days.
    The report added, however, that a 7.5% increase in hospital admissions for COVID patients and a higher positivity rate for the tests indicated that contagion was on the up too.
    It said that the number of new COVID vaccinations was just over 152,000 in the week in question, a drop of 53%, and 11 million vaccine doses were currently unused in fridges in Italy.
    Many people who had been reluctant to get vaccinated for COVID-19 opted to have the jab after the government decided to make it obligatory for the workplace.
    Over 86% of the Italian population over 12 have had at least one vaccine dose, according to health ministry figures. (ANSA).