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COVID-19 RULES

Four more Italian regions declared Covid ‘yellow’ zones as infections rise

More of Italy's regions and autonomous provinces will be classed as moderate-risk Covid 'yellow' zones from Monday following a further rise in cases and hospitalisations.

Published: 17 December 2021 17:28 CET
People shop in Venice.
The Veneto region around Venice is among the areas designated Covid 'yellow' zones. Photo: ANDREA PATTARO / AFP

The regions of Liguria, Marche, Veneto and the autonomous province of Trento are to lose their low-risk ‘white’ zone status from Monday December 20th under Italy’s four-tiered system of Covid restrictions under an ordinance signed by Health Minister Roberto Speranza on Friday afternoon, according to Italian media reports.

The ministry reclassified the four areas after they exceeded the maximum thresholds for Covid infection rates, hospitalisations and intensive care admissions according to the latest data from the Higher Health Institute (ISS).

READ ALSO: What are Italy’s new rules for Covid ‘yellow’ zones?

These areas will join Calabria, Friuli Venezia Giulia and the autonomous province of Bolzano, which are already under yellow zone rules.

The rest of the country remains under white zone rules for at least one more week.

Having yellow zone restrictions reimposed will, among other things, mean a return to wearing a face mask in all public places, both indoors and outdoors.

Several more regions could also have their risk level raised in the coming weeks, according to the latest health data.

In total, nine of Italy’s regions or autonomous provinces have exceeded the ten percent threshold for the number of ICU beds occupied by Covid-19 patients, the ISS report said.

MAP: The Italian regions becoming ‘yellow’ zones in December

They are Calabria, Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Marche, Molise, Veneto and the provinces of Bolzano and Trento.

The nationwide incidence rate rose to 241 per 100,000 inhabitants in the week of 10-16 December 2021, up from 176 per 100,000 the week before.

Member comments

  1. We have to flatten the curve.
    We have to wear masks and socially distance. .
    We have to get the vax x 2.
    We have to get the booster.
    When and how will it end? Time to get on with life and learn to live with the virus.

  3. Can you supply a link of the3 actual patient data? You know the data that will show clearly just how many bof those ICU beds are occupied by sheep, oops…sorry people, who have already taken one or more clot shots? This would be USEFUL data and might just begin to open peoples’ eyes

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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.

Published: 11 September 2023 12:48 CEST
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.”

READ ALSO:

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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