The GIMBE independent health foundation said Thursday that the pressure COVID-19 is exerting on Italy's hospitals increased sharply over the last week as contagion continues to spread rapidly.
It said the number of people in hospital with the coronavirus increased by 31% in the January 5-11 period to 17,067 and the number of COVID sufferers in intensive care rose by 20.5% to 1,677.
GIMBE said COVID deaths increased by 35.4% in the week in question, when there were 1.2 million new cases, a rise of 49%.
The foundation said the COVID prevention measures currently in place were "insufficient to slow the rise in contagion".
It said the number of people getting their first COVID vaccine dose had risen by 62.1% in the period in question.
But it said that the government's decision to make COVID vaccination obligatory for over-50s had not had "big effects" so far.
It said the number of people to get their first jab in this age group was 73,690, while 2.1 million over-50s remain unvaccinated.
The Italian Association of Hospital Paediatricians (AOPI), meanwhile, said Thursday that 76% of five-to-18-year-olds in hospital with COVID were unvaccinated.
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