Italy's COVID Rt infection rate
number has risen from 0.91 last week to 1.26 this week, meaning
that each person with the virus now infects more than one other,
according to the weekly monitoring report from the health
ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS) that was approved
Friday.
There has also been a sharp rise in incidence rates which have
risen from 19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants last week to 41
cases per 100,000 this week, the report says.
Some 19 regions and autonomous provinces have now been
classified as moderate COVID risk, and two, Basilicata and Val
D'Aosta, as low risk.
The RT number of Sardinia is 2.24, the highest.
The ICU occupancy rate is steady at 2%, except for Sicily and
Tuscany where it is 3%.
There has been a slight rise in admissions, from 157 to 165.
The circulation of the Delta variant is growing steadily and
this more aggressive and infectious variant is now prevalent,
the report said.
ISS chief Silvio Brusaferro told a press conference that the Rt
was soon projected to hit 1.55 while the average age of
infection was down to 25 and the average age of ICU admission
was 55.
"The number of cases is rising, pulled up by young people
between the ages of 10 and 29", he added.
Brusaferro also observed that while the COVID incidence had
doubled, there was "no stress on hospitals".
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