Italian health officials called on Friday for "caution", after last week observing "red flags linked to the transmission" of the coronavirus, particularly in Rome, indicating that "the circulation of the virus is still significant". "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).
>> LIVE - Coronavirus: follow the evolution of the situation
If the situation "is generally positive", the ISS observed "some warning signals linked to transmission". Lazio, the region of Rome, is thus at the top of the ranking of contagions this week, and has surpassed that of Lombardy (North), epicenter of the epidemic in the country.
The situation is "under control"
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. "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.
CORONAVIRUS ESSENTIALS
> Coronavirus in China: should we worry about the new situation?
> Schools, taxes, fight against racism… What you should remember from Emmanuel Macron's speech
> Coronavirus: 5 mistakes not to make with your mask
> Coronavirus: three initiatives that will disrupt our beach habits
> Between empty TGV and TER at a discount, SNCF is preparing for a bad summer
> Can we catch the coronavirus on a plane?
However, "overall, the general picture of the transmission and impact of Sars-CoV-2 infection in Italy remains uncritical (...)". This "epidemiologically fluid situation requires strict compliance with the measures necessary to reduce the risks of transmission".
More than 34,500 dead in Italy
The epidemic of new coronavirus officially killed more than 34,500 people in Italy, since the first case recorded in Codogno (Lombardy), 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.
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.