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Milan is a ticking coronavirus ‘bomb’ under phase two, virologist warns

Milan is a coronavirus time "bomb" at risk of a new wave of contagion, an Italian virologist has warned, with "a very high number of infected people" now moving around.

Milan is a ticking coronavirus 'bomb' under phase two, virologist warns
People stroll along the Navigli canals in Milan on May 8th. Photo: AFP

Photos of crowds in Milan's canalside area sitting, walking, or enjoying aperitivo in the sunshine, many without wearing masks or respecting social distancing rules, were splashed over the front pages of Italy's main dailies on Friday, sparking angry comments under the hashtag #navigli on Italian social media.

The city in the northern Lombardy region is at the epicentre of Italy's outbreak, one of the worst in Europe in terms of deaths and infections.

More than 80,000 infections have been recorded in Lombardy – almost 40 percent of Italy's overall cases – according to official data.

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Only 33,000 of Lombardy's cases are considered recovered.

The region's capital Milan, is “a bit of a bomb,” said Massimo Galli, the head of the infectious diseases department at the renowned Sacco hospital in Milan.

“We have a very high number of infected people returning to circulation,” he said in an interview with the La Repubblica newspaper, referring to the easing of lockdown measures on May 4.

Galli said it was clear the easing of the lockdown “may present problems”.

Milan's Mayor Giuseppe Sala slammed the canal-side behaviour as “shameful” and issued an “ultimatum” on social media, threatening to close down the well-known aperitif area of Naviglio if people persist in flouting the rules.

Milan and much of northern Italy was put under lockdown exactly two months ago, days before the rules were rolled out nationwide.

Lombardy has logged some 15,000 deaths, around half of Italy's 30,000 coronavirus fatalities, since the outbreak first erupted in early March.

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HEALTH

Italy’s schools warned to ‘avoid gatherings’ as Covid cases rise

As Italy’s new school year began, masks and hand sanitiser were distributed in schools and staff were asked to prevent gatherings to help stem an increase in Covid infections.

Italy’s schools warned to ‘avoid gatherings’ as Covid cases rise

Pupils returned to school in many parts of Italy on Monday and authorities said they were distributing masks and hand sanitiser amid a post-summer increase in the number of recorded cases of Covid–19.

“The advice coming from principals, teachers and janitors is to avoid gatherings of students, especially in these first days of school,” Mario Rusconi, head of Italy’s Principals’ Association, told Rai news on Monday.

He added that local authorities in many areas were distributing masks and hand sanitizer to schools who had requested them.

“The use of personal protective equipment is recommended for teachers and students who are vulnerable,” he said, confirming that “use is not mandatory.”

A previous requirement for students to wear masks in the classroom was scrapped at the beginning of the last academic year.

Walter Ricciardi, former president of the Higher Health Institute (ISS), told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper on Monday that the return to school brings the risk of increased Covid infections.

Ricciardi described the health ministry’s current guidelines for schools as “insufficient” and said they were “based on politics rather than scientific criteria.”

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Recorded cases of Covid have increased in most Italian regions over the past three weeks, along with rates of hospitalisation and admittance to intensive care, as much of the country returns to school and work following the summer holidays.

Altogether, Italy recorded 21,309 new cases in the last week, an increase of 44 percent compared to the 14,863 seen the week before.

While the World Health Organisation said in May that Covid was no longer a “global health emergency,” and doctors say currently circulating strains of the virus in Italy are not a cause for alarm, there are concerns about the impact on elderly and clinically vulnerable people with Italy’s autumn Covid booster campaign yet to begin.

“We have new variants that we are monitoring but none seem more worrying than usual,” stated Fabrizio Maggi, director of the Virology and Biosafety Laboratories Unit of the Lazzaro Spallanzani Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome

He said “vaccination coverage and hybrid immunity can only translate into a milder disease in young and healthy people,” but added that “vaccinating the elderly and vulnerable continues to be important.”

Updated vaccines protecting against both flu and Covid are expected to arrive in Italy at the beginning of October, and the vaccination campaign will begin at the end of October, Rai reported.

Amid the increase in new cases, Italy’s health ministry last week issued a circular mandating Covid testing on arrival at hospital for patients with symptoms.

Find more information about Italy’s current Covid-19 situation and vaccination campaign on the Italian health ministry’s website (available in English).

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