After two years of lockdown, quarantines, green passes, vaccines and restrictions, all European countries, including Italy, have established a gradual easing of the anti-Covid measures. But we are far from a safe situation, and we could quickly slip back into one instead new wave out of control: in just one week the infections have grown by +32,4%, ordinary hospitalizations are rising again - while deaths (-5%) and intensive care (-9,4%) are falling - and the positivity rate rises to 15,2%. The Gimbe Foundation detects it.
Un increase in infections driven by the new sub-variant of Omicron and by an easing of restrictions - too sudden according to the WHO - which "reflects on the increase in hospitalizations in the medical area and slows the decline in intensive care and deaths", explains the president of the Nino Cartabellotta Foundation . To prevent the rise in cases from starting a new wave, which could jeopardize the reopening roadmap, it is "essential to give a new boost to the vaccination campaign that has been stalled for some time: increase vaccination coverage and third doses, especially in the over 50s, and accelerate with the fourth doses in the immunosuppressed", warns Cartabellotta.
Many other countries are also facing the worrying increase in infections. In France, the reintroduction of the obligation to wear masks indoors is being considered - a move already undertaken by Austria - while Germany is considering the generalized vaccination obligation.
Covid in Italy: the South most affected
The most significant increase is recorded in the southern regions (+42,2%), with 51,6% in Puglia, while the least one concerns the islands (+17,7%). The Foundation notes a trend reversal in hospitalizations in the medical area which have started to rise again (+5,9%). As of March 22, the national occupation rate by Covid patients is 13,8% in the medical area and 4,8% in the critical area. Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Puglia, Sardinia, Sicily and Umbria exceed the threshold of 15% in the medical area, with the Calabria Region reaching 34%; no Region goes beyond the 10% threshold in intensive care.
Covid in Italy: vaccination campaign stalled and fourth dose
As of March 23, 85,6% of the population had received at least one dose and 83,9% had completed the vaccination cycle. The number of vaccinations decreased further in the last week (352.744), with an average of 50.392 administrations per day: third doses decreased by 16,3% (269.988) and new vaccinated by 23,4% (18.296). Despite the vaccination obligation, among the over 50s there are only 4.031 new vaccinated this week (-37,9% compared to the previous one).
There are still 6,9 million people who have not received a single dose of the vaccine, of which 2,4 million recovered in less than 180 days. As a result, there are currently about 4,5 million people who can be vaccinated.
As for the fourth dose there will be no expansion to the over 70s. The Aifa Technical-Scientific Commission, to which the Ministry of Health had asked how it should proceed given that some countries have announced their intention to administer the fourth dose not only to immunosuppressed patients, said that at the moment "further investigations are needed, integrating the scientific evidence with data from ongoing studies in Italy". The Cts reiterated rather than completing the coverage with the third doses, which is still behind.
Contagions rise: France and Germany take a step back
With infections on the rise across Europe, governments are backtracking after the easing of anti-contagion measures at the beginning of the month. France, which since 14 March had suspended the strengthened green pass and removed the obligation to wear masks indoors, is ready to reverse course to curb the rapid increase in infections: in the last week they have risen above 100 thousand a day , and the decline in hospitalizations has slowed. "I will be transparent - said President Emmanuel Macron, interviewed by M6 TV - if things get worse, even if it will be during the elections, I will do everything necessary to protect in a proportionate way".
Even Germany, which for weeks has embarked on the road to a progressive return to "normality", is facing an increase in infections, so much so that there is talk of a "sixth wave" in the country. It is above all the deaths that worry the German government. So much so that the German Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, hypothesized the use of "generalized vaccination obligation" as "the only way out of the pandemic and the only reliable way".
Austria, starting this week, has reintroduced the obligation of Ffp2 masks indoors. Obligation that had been restricted, since March 5, only to supermarkets, pharmacies and public transport.
