The main concern is that of variants: the English mutation represents more than 30% of infections in Italy and by mid-March, according to the Higher Institute of Health, it will be the predominant one in our country. This is the picture drawn by the Technical-scientific committee in yesterday’s meeting with the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi. With an invitation to caution, which is also reflected in the will of the experts of do not reopen gyms and swimming pools for the time being. The slight increase in infections and the spread of the English variant also seem to convince the prime minister to follow the line of prudence, following the instructions of the experts. Also because the risk is not represented only by the single activities that could reopen, but also by the whole movement that they involve.
The new dpcm, probable postponement of reopening
The government and Draghi himself are working at the moment new dpcm, which will have to replace the one currently in force until 5 March. The meeting with the CTS and with the representatives of the ruling parties served to take stock of the situation. The new measure could be launched by the end of the week, in an attempt to communicate the decisions made in advance. The initial idea was to focus on a decree law, to also involve the Parliament. But times are tight and in the end Draghi could be forced to fall back on a dpcm. It is difficult to think of a relaxation of the bans with the increased circulation of variants and with experts who continue to ask for caution. The decision on possible reopening it could slip to the end of March or even to the second week of April, waiting for Easter to pass.
The postponement of the reopening of cinemas, theaters, gyms and swimming pools
Therefore, there will be a wait for the reopening. The Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini, is fighting to restart cinemas, theaters and concert halls: today he will meet the CTS to discuss the safety protocols presented by the associations, but at the moment the possible reopening seems to be unable to arrive before April 6, after the Easter holidays. For gyms and swimming poolsInstead, the Ministry of Sport had asked the CTS for an opinion. The answer has come and it is contrary: according to experts swimming pools and gyms can reopen only with less than 50 infections per 100 thousand inhabitants, the white band parameter that at the moment almost no region can even approach.
Only later, therefore, will the indicators be evaluated, which could be revised at a later time and which could be fundamental for assessing the possible reopening of the facilities for sports activities with the staggering of entrances to these structures. At the moment, the most stringent rules that people think about for gyms and swimming pools are not enough: postponement seems the most likely thing. Also for the evening reopening of bars and restaurants everything seems to be postponed. Unlikely to be able to grant the opening after 18, although a reflection could be carried out for those areas that are closest to the white band parameters. In any case, it still seems to be too early.
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