“New cases” of covid in Italy “stable for three weeks, but hospitalizations among the unvaccinated” against the coronavirus continue to rise. This was revealed today by the independent monitoring of the Gimbe Foundation in the week 18-24 August compared to the previous one. According to the report, we are witnessing “an increase in new cases (45.251 versus 43.365) and deaths (345 versus 237). There is also an increase in currently positive cases (135.325 versus 129.116), people in home isolation (130.785 versus 125.221), hospitalizations with symptoms (4,036 versus 3,472) and intensive care (504 versus 423) “.
“The new weekly cases – says Nino Cartabellotta, president of the Gimbe Foundation – after stabilization last week, show a slight increase also visible in the moving average of daily cases, while remaining underestimated by the insufficient testing activity and the limited activity of contact tracking “. According to Gimbe, in the week 18-24 August, compared to the previous one, there was “a percentage increase in new cases in 8 Regions and that of currently positive cases in 13 Regions. In 68 Provinces the incidence is equal to or greater than 50 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants: in Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria all the provinces reach or exceed this threshold “.
“There are 13 provinces with over 150 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants: Caltanissetta (318), Ragusa (281), Enna (268), Cagliari (239), Syracuse (234), Trapani (195), Messina (185), Catania (180), Reggio Calabria (169), South Sardinia (167), Palermo (163), Prato (163) and Agrigento (156) – the document notes – Deaths increase: 345 in the last 7 days, with an average of 49 per day compared to 34 the previous week “.
STILL WITHOUT VACCINAL COVERAGE 3.5 MILLION OVER 50 – “There are 4.6 million over 50s who have not yet completed the vaccination cycle, of which 3.52 million (12.9%) have not yet received even a dose, with significant regional differences (from 19.6% of Sicily to 8.2% of Puglia). Given the substantial flattening of vaccination trends in these age groups, the data confirm the vaccination hesitation of the over 50s, while all the curves of the under 40s rise. vaccination coverage between the different categories “is the picture that emerges from the latest report of the Gimbe Foundation.
“During the month of August – comments the president Cartabellotta – there was a fall of 66.5% in administrations: the 7-day moving average went from the peak of over 592 thousand on 28 July to just over 198 thousand on August 20 “. In addition to the vaccination hesitation, “there are various reasons behind this sudden slowdown – says the report – from the lack of reservations during the holidays by users, to the holidays of health workers, and the progressive reduction of the second doses to be administered”. “On the other hand – reaffirms Cartabellotta – with the availability of a substantial number of doses we have lost the opportunity to accelerate the campaign in some age groups, especially in the 12-19 years crucial for the imminent start of schools” .
SCHOOL, “GOVERNMENT PLAN NOT AT THE HEIGHT OF THE RISKS VARIANT DELTA” – Regarding schools, the report highlights that “if the Government has committed to reopening schools with 100% attendance, the measures approved with Legislative Decree 111 of 2021 do not contain significant changes, in the face of a much more contagious variant of the virus. numerous critical issues that hindered, if not made it impossible, the conduct of face-to-face lessons last school year have not been resolved so far “. The report stresses that “the government plan” on school “does not convince”.
“There is no public reporting on how the 150 million of the Sostegni decree were used (suitable ventilation and ventilation of the premises, physical distancing); while the 350 million of the Sostegni bis decree intended for various measures including personal protective equipment and redesign of spaces to date they have been divided between schools only on paper – points out Gimbe – On the transport front, beyond generic indications on the staggering of entry times, only the figure of the mobility manager appears to prepare staff home-school-home travel school and pupils “.
“There is no periodic and systematic screening of students and school staff. The only novelty is the obligation of the Green pass for school staff, not extended to students over 12 for whom, with a little ‘reasoned’ risk, is aimed exclusively on vaccination coverage “, concludes the Foundation.