The government has decided to keep
existing COVID measures in place, resisting pressure from the
centre right to reopen gyms, swimming pools and other urban
spaces and let restaurants work in the evening, Health Minister
Roberto Speranza told the Senate Wednesday.
"There are not the conditions to lower our guard," he said,
stressing the need for national unity against the health
emergency.
He said the key RT transmission number was close to passing the
crucial 1 threshold, and therefore "great prudence is still
needed".
Speranza said "rows may disorient" people but there was "light
at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine rollout.
He said the government had agreed to a proposal to have a single
spokesman foe the CTS government committee of experts, rather
than several sometimes discordant voices.
Italy is currently in a three-tier COVID risk system and a
travel ban between regions was recently extended till March 27
as the government looks to slow the spread of highly contagious
coronavirus variants.
Speranza said there a panel would be set up with the Higher
Health Institute (ISS) to draw up a more accurate and thorough
picture of the various COVID variants circulating in the
country, starting with the highly contagious British strain.
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