Hope: "Worry about the situation, we will evaluate on Thursday. Keep your guard up"

• Hope: "Today we will exceed 105 million doses of the vaccine. Monday will verify the diffusion of variants"

• Covid: 24,259 new cases and 97 deaths with 566,300 swabs in 24 hours.

  Positive at 4.3%

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• In 2020, 1.7 million fewer hospitalizations will cause a pandemic.

  Hope: "The challenge is open"

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December 19, 2021 "Maximum precaution, prudence and avoid gatherings as much as possible during the Christmas holidays". This was stated by the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza, interviewed by Fabio Fazio on "Che tempo che fa" on Rai3.

The interview was also an opportunity to take stock of any new anti-Covid measures. "No decision has been taken, there will be a 'flash survey' tomorrow and only on Thursday, based on the data, we will make our assessment", Speranza reported.

"There is an element of concern on the part of the government", admitted the minister, "we are discussing and will evaluate possible solutions". "Today Italy is the EU country that has the most extensive vaccination obligation for various categories", he observed, "after which we will verify the epidemiological data and also the scope of the Omicron variant. The measures we choose will always be weighted with respect to the situation ".

"Surely there is a situation that is not easy at a European level and also at an Italian level", underlined the minister, "the numbers are growing, even if they are still far better than other European countries. ours, but it is quite clear that there has been a rather constant significant growth in recent weeks and that if it continues like this it can risk putting health structures in difficulty ".

"The data from Great Britain, which we always look at carefully because it has often anticipated us, tell us that we are facing a new challenge. However, we are in a different phase compared to last year: we were in the red zone every day, very hard closures, number of deaths larger than today. We do not have those numbers now and we have not made closures and it is because we have carried out a great vaccination campaign. We must insist on the two levers: booster doses and use of masks. For these parties we need maximum precaution and utmost prudence, avoid gatherings and places where you can be infected as much as possible ".

"In the first two days we reached the quota of over 52 thousand children between 5 and 11 years. This figure also includes my two children, Michele and Emma". "Let's trust our scientists, let's trust our doctors, let's trust our pediatricians".

"The government has taken a cautious position on the obligation to vaccinate students because there is an essential right which is that of health, but also a right to education. I have read the mayors' request which deserves to be studied in depth, but the effort of the government is to find conditions to protect the school as much as possible ".

"The first data we receive tell us that the third dose allows us to regain a very significant level of protection. I invite all those who are entitled to do so as soon as possible because it is the best shield that can prepare us for when in a few weeks the Omicron variant will be much more present in our country ". "Doing the third dose and using the mask, these weapons we have, are a significant shield to the omicron variant."

"The Ema has authorized the third dose only from the age of 18 and we are waiting for the indications of the Ema. I will favor a comparison with Aifa and Ema compared to the third dose for under-18s".

"We will evaluate the congruity of the measures by reflecting with our scientists".

"We have made some choices - emphasizes the Minister of Health - the state of emergency has been extended, the level of attention raised with respect to arrivals from abroad and from other European countries".