COVID-19 transmission no drops further, incidence down

(ANSA) - ROME, DEC 23 - Italy's COVID-19 Rt transmission number and case incidence have continued on a downward trend, according to the weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS).
    It said the Rt dropped to 0. 91 in the November 30-December 13 period, down from 0.98 in last week's report.
    An Rt above 1 indicates that the virus is in a phase of expansion.
    The report said the incidence fell to 233 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants in the December 16-22 period from 296 the previous week.
    It said 13.7% of Italy's ordinary-ward hospital places were occupied by coronavirus patients on December 22, down from 14.8% on December 15.
    It said the COVID-hospital-occupancy rate was at or above the 15% alarm threshold in 10 regions - Umbria (39%), Liguria (28.7%), Valle d'Aosta (28.4%), Friuli Venezia Giulia (20.4%), Marche (19.8%), Emilia Romagna (18.8%), Calabria (17.3%), Abruzzo (16.6%), Sicily (15.3%) and Veneto (15%).
    The report said the proportion of intensive-care beds taken up by COVID sufferers dropped from 3.2% to 3.1% in the December 15-22 period (ANSA).