COVID-19 transmission no drops further, incidence down

(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 23 - Italy's COVID-19 Rt transmission number and case incidence have continued on a downward trend, according to the weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS).
    It said the Rt dropped to 0.91 in the November 30-December 13 period, down from 0.98 in last week's report.
    An Rt above 1 indicates that the virus is in a phase of expansion.
    The report said the incidence fell to 233 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants in the December 16-22 period from 296 the previous week.
    It said 13.7% of Italy's ordinary-ward hospital places were occupied by coronavirus patients on December 22, down from 14.8% on December 15.
    It said the COVID-hospital-occupancy rate was at or above the 15% alarm threshold in 10 regions - Umbria (39%), Liguria (28.7%), Valle d'Aosta (28.4%), Friuli Venezia Giulia (20.4%), Marche (19.8%), Emilia Romagna (18.8%), Calabria (17.3%), Abruzzo (16.6%), Sicily (15.3%) and Veneto (15%).
    The report said the proportion of intensive-care beds taken up by COVID sufferers dropped from 3.2% to 3.1% in the December 15-22 period (ANSA).