In view of the increase in cases of infection, the Government is preparing to announce new measures to contain the advance of the pandemic, and the Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, is expected to hold a press conference today, with no time yet defined.
According to the daily bulletin of the Italian health authorities, the country accounts for a total of 414,241 people infected by covid-19 since the first cases of infection appeared in the country, on February 21.
The record of 11,705 new cases of covid-19 infection in the last 24 hours is the largest increase ever recorded during the covid-19 pandemic, although many more tests are being carried out today than at the beginning of the pandemic crisis, with emphasis on 146,500 tests with covid-19 in the last 24 hours.
The daily bulletin of the Ministry of Health of Italy also reports 69 deaths, bringing the total number to 36,543 deaths.
Currently, Italy has 126,327 people infected with covid-19, most of whom are isolated at home, with mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
However, as has been noted in recent weeks, the number of people who need to be hospitalized is increasing, with 7,881 people hospitalized in the last 24 hours (559 more than on Saturday), 750 of whom need intensive care (more 45 than on Saturday).
According to experts in the health field, the Italian hospital system has, for now, capacity and is not saturated.
In this context, the Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, is going to give a press conference today to announce the new measures to contain the growth of the covid-19 pandemic, after the representatives of the regions have presented proposals to the Government, including the authorization of the pharmacies to carry out diagnostic tests for the disease.
The news agency Efe says that one of the most debated points has to do with the operation of bars, restaurants and other establishments, which for a week must close at midnight (if they do not have table service, they close at 21:00) .
The regions of Italy agreed on the opening hours of these spaces and are in favor of the obligation for establishments that do not have table service to close at 18:00 to prevent people from staying at the door to drink or eat something.
In addition, the Italian regions have asked the Government for more control over party areas and argue that gastronomic fairs and other events can be suspended.
At the moment, there are no proposals to limit the operation of hairdressers, beauty salons, gyms and swimming pools.
On the other hand, they want the Executive to promote teleworking to avoid saturation of means of transport, one of the major concerns in the context of the country’s pandemic.
The Italian regions that register the most cases are Lombardy (north), the epicenter of the pandemic crisis in Italy, since the beginning and today with almost three thousand positive cases of covid-19, concentrated mainly in the capital of the region, Milan, and Campania ( south), with capital in Naples, where almost 1,400 cases occurred (although half the tests were done than in Lombardy, around 14,200).
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