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.
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