COVID cases slowing but deaths rise 42% in 7 days - Gimbe

(ANSA) - ROME, 19 NOV - COVID infection rates are falling in Italy but deaths have surged with a 42% increase in the last seven days, the Gimbe Foundation said in its independent monitoring Thursday.
    In the week from November 11 to 17, the medical foundation said, Italy saw a first slowdown in the growth of COVID cases.
    But it said the rise in deaths was "exponential", up 41.7%.
    Deaths rose from 2,918 in the previous week to 4,134 in the latest weekly monitoring.
    Gimbe said the "this rise is destined to increase in the next few weeks, because the effect of the (restrictive) measures first reduces the contagion rates, then admissions and intensive care cases, and only lastly deaths".
    From 11 to 17 November the number of new COVID cases was 242,609, up 24.4% from the previous week's 235,634, the foundation said.
    This was with a slight drop, 2%, in the number of swabs taken, at 854,626 compared to 872,026.
    Admissions to hospital wards were up 15.5% from 28,633 to 33,074.
    Intensive care cases were 3,612 in the last seven days, , compared to 2,971 in the previous week, a gain of 21.6%.
    "The containment measures," said Gimbe President Nino Cartabellotta, "have not flattened the infection curve, which is continuing to rise, albeit at a slower rate, along with the curve for admissions and intensive care places.
    "The contagion, in short, is like a car which, after accelerating for weeks, is now going at a very high but constant speed". (ANSA).