While Europe is grappling with the fourth wave and in some countries there is an exponential increase in infections, Italy tries to resist, but even here the growth in the number of positives is more than visible. For this reason, the Government is already thinking about the countermeasures to try to curb the infectionswhile avoiding restrictive measures that could jeopardize economic growth.
INFECTIONS IN ITALY
In the last week they have been registered over 36 thousand new positives at Covid, 17,2% more than the previous week. However, for many analysts, the glass is half full given that in the last two weeks of October the percentage growth was respectively equal to +32,1% and +32,3%. There could therefore be an initial slowdown, but we must not let our guard down. In the coming weeks it will be essential to keep the bar straight, above all in view of Christmas, when according to experts the peak of the fourth wave could arrive: "With the current numbers it is reasonable to expect the plateau to be reached at 15 thousand daily cases around Christmas", says Professor Fabrizio Pregliasco, professor of general hygiene and preventive medicine at the University of Milan.
Looking at the data of the individual regions, Sardinia (+73% of infections compared to the previous week, Veneto (+40%) and the Province of Bolzano (+45,3%) are above all worrying. no territory risks the yellow zone given that it is no longer the infections that weigh but the hospitalizations. Those in ordinary wards grew by 14%, those in intensive care by 16,3%. Despite this, all the Regions are below the limits that would trigger the yellow zone (the Italian average of the two data is respectively 4 and 6%, compared to thresholds set at 15% for hospitalizations in ordinary wards and 10% for intensive care beds).
Finally the deaths. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 132.391 people have died from Covid. In the last week, 291 people lost their lives, fifteen more than the previous week. Thanks to the good performance of the vaccination campaign (83,3% of the population that can be vaccinated completed the cycle), a further increase in deaths was therefore avoided.
THE GOVERNMENT STRATEGY
I am basically four measures on which the Draghi government is aiming to contain the infections: extension of the state of emergency, extension of the green pass obligation, reopening of the vaccination hubs and, above all, an increase in the third doses of the anti-Covid vaccine.
As expected, by mid-December the Government should decide to extend the state of emergency, expiring on 31 December, for another three months. And so until the end of March. The main purpose of this measure is to allow the commissioner structure led by General Figliuolo to remain fully operational.
It will stand, the zone system, with the possibility for the regions to establish localized red zones, in the presence of extensive outbreaks.
As regards the greenpass, the extension of the green certification obligation for workers and for entry into public places, restaurants, bars, etc., now seems obvious. In this case, the new deadline should be set at the end of March or even in the summer. It should be emphasized that for citizens who receive the third dose, the green pass "counter" will start from the beginning and will last 12 months from the date of the booster dose.
Speaking of the third dose the government intends to vaccinate as many people as possible. Already this week the Cts will meet to give the green light to the extension of the third dose to all over 50s, to be administered six months after the second dose, while as anticipated by the minister, Roberto Speranza, the government is at work to "widen the audience to further generational groups". To this end, governors have already been asked to reopen the vaccination hubs closed and involve general practitioners in the vaccination campaign. Finally, the ok from the EMA is awaited (also expected in the middle of next month) for lvaccination of children under 12 years.
