Italy's COVID-19 Rt transmission
number rose to 1.18 in the September 14-27 period, the weekly
coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the
Higher Health Institute (ISS) said on Friday, up from 1 in last
week's report.
An Rt over 1 indicates that the epidemic is in a phase of
expansion.
The incidence climbed to 441 cases for every 100,000
inhabitants, up from 325 in last week's report.
The number of regions/autonomous provinces with an incidence
over 600 has risen from two to seven.
They are: Abruzzo (603.8), Friuli Venezia Giulia (710), the
province of Bolzano (863.8), the province of Trento (825.2),
Piedmont (654.7), Umbria (680.6) and Veneto (728.9).
The report said the pressure the coronavirus is exerting on
Italy's hospitals has increased too.
It said 1.8% of Italy's intensive care beds were occupied by
COVID sufferers on October 6, up from 1.4% on September 29.
The proportion of ordinary-ward places taken up by coronavirus
patients rose to 8.2%, up from 6% on September 22.
The number of regions/autonomous provinces above the alert
threshold of 15% for COVID occupation of ordinary hospital beds
rose from three to four - Bolzano (24.6%), Umbria (21,6%),
Friuli Venezia Giulia (16.9%) and Valle d'Aosta (16,4%).
Six regions are now classed as being at high risk for the
presence of multiple resilience alerts, the report said:
Abruzzo, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Marche, Puglia and Veneto.
One region, Tuscany, is described as not classifiable, a status
equivalent to high risk.
The remaining 14 regions are moderate risk.
Health ministry prevention chief Gianni Rezza said that with the
Rt number above one, the pace of circulation of the virus was
increasing.
"We are over the epidemic threshold," he said.
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