COVID: Keep facemasks as virus circulation significant-min

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 13 - Facemasks are still required as the circulation of the COVID-19 virus is still "significant" in Italy, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said Wednesday.
    "The pandemic is not over and there are significant viral circulation numbers, but we must trust science," he said at the event 'Public and Private Health Care: How to Restart', organized by the RCS Academy and Italy's top newspaper Corriere della Sera.
    "As of today we have 91.44% (of Italians) who have had the first dose of the vaccine, and 90% who have completed the first cycle plus 39 million who have also had the booster.
    "Furthermore, in these days we are starting the second booster for the over 80s and the fragile.
    "The use of facemasks remains essential.
    "If we are in a different phase it is thanks to the vaccination campaign." Speranza said that for the moment the fourth jab is being given to the over 80s and the fragile over 60s, and the use of updated vaccines for the fourth dose for other categories will be weighed for this autumn.
    "That is, in the months that separate us from autumn we will assess a further booster with updated vaccines for further brackets of the population, but we will have to understand what categories with the scientists".
    The Higher Health Institute said Wednesday that vaccines had averted eight million COVID-19 cases and some 150,000 deaths.
    Some 74,000 Omicron variant deaths had been averted in January alone, it said. (ANSA).