(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 13 - Italy's COVID-19 incidence stayed on a downward trend in the May 6-12 period, the weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS) said on Friday, dropping to 458 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 559 in the April 29-May 5 period.
    It said the Rt transmission number for the April 20-May 3 period was 0.96, stable with respect to last week's report.
    An Rt above 1 indicates that the virus is in a phase of expansion.
    The report said the proportion of Italy's intensive-care places taken up by COVID-19 sufferers was 3.4% on May 12, down from 3.7% on May 5.
    The proportion of ordinary-ward hospital beds occupied by coronavirus patients has dropped from 14.5% to 12.6, it said.
    Health ministry prevention chief Gianni Rezza said "the circulation (of the virus) is still high, and people should get their third and fourth does (of the vaccine)".
    ISS Infectious Diseases Department Chief Anna Teresa Palamara said "cases have been slowly and steadily dropping in all regions and age brackets for weeks, especially the 0-19 group".
    (ANSA).