Covid-19 in Italy: calls for "caution" after "red flags"

Italian health officials on Friday (June 19th) called for "caution" after last week observing "red flags linked to the transmission" of Covid-19, particularly in Rome, indicating that "the circulation of the virus is still important. "

"In some regions, a high number of new cases of Covid-19 infection continues to be reported," said in his latest weekly report for the week of June 8-14, the Higher Institute of Health (ISS). If the situation "is generally positive", the ISS observed "some warning signals linked to transmission".

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Lazio, the region of Rome, is thus at the top of the ranking of contagions this week, and has surpassed that of Lombardy, epicenter of the epidemic in the country.

Two outbreaks have been identified in recent days in intramural Rome, where health officials say the situation is "under control": one in an illegally occupied building in a working-class neighborhood, the other in a hospital.

A still significant circulation of the virus in certain parts of the country

"This should encourage caution because it indicates that in certain parts of the country, the circulation of the virus is still important," points out this report. However, "overall, the general picture of the transmission and impact of Sars-CoV-2 infection in Italy remains uncritical (...)".

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The Covid-19 epidemic officially killed more than 34,500 people in Italy, since the first case recorded in Codogno (Lombardy), also the first case identified outside of China where the disease appeared in December 2019.

Lombardy, more generally the north of the peninsula, was then the epicenter of the epidemic in Italy and Europe.

The disease now appears to be under control in Italy, with an average of a few dozen deaths per day and a reduced number of infections.

WHO alert

This call by Italian health authorities coincides with the alarm launched on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) for which the world has entered a "dangerous phase" as the countries that had put in place measures of reopening reopen confinement or restrictions on mobility.

"Many people are obviously tired of staying at home. Countries are keen to reopen their societies and economies," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a virtual press conference.

"The world is in a new & dangerous phase. Many people are understandably fed up with being at home. Countries are understandably eager to open up their societies & economies.
But the virus is still spreading fast, it's still deadly & most people are still susceptible "- @ DrTedros

"But the virus continues to spread quickly, it remains deadly and most people remain exposed," he added, adding that the WHO had Thursday recorded more than 150,000 new cases worldwide, a record on only one day since the start of the epidemic.

Almost half of these cases have been recorded on the American continent and the pandemic is also progressing in South Asia and the Middle East. The milestone of 450,000 dead (and more than 8.5 million cases) was crossed on Friday, according to official statistics collected by AFP, but which the experts consider largely underestimated. 

With AFP

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