Italy fell below 4,000 coronavirus cases in one day and is on track for full opening

All regions of Italy will be classified from this Monday as “yellow” or low risk areas, which will mean the return of the country as close as possible to normality for over a year now, when it became the “zero point” of the pandemic in Europe and began unusual containment.

The registered country 3,995 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours and 72 deaths, reported the Ministry of Health, which represents a notable improvement in the epidemiological situation, on the eve of Monday that the whole country enters the “yellow zone” or at low risk.

The lifting of mid-range restrictions in the only region that has remained in “orange”, the Aosta Valley (north), dyes the whole country in “yellow”, after the ordinance signed this Friday by the Minister of Health, Roberto Speranza based on epidemiological data and the indications of the scientific cabinet which advises the government chaired by Mario Draghi.

And from June 1, Italy will start the journey towards the total absence of limitations when three regions will change to the desired “white” color, where only the use of a mask is required: Molise (center), Sardinia (east) and Friuli-Venezia-Julia (north), while on 7, four more Predictably will do it: Abruzzo, Umbria (both in the center) and northern Veneto and Liguria.

If the gradual improvement in the health situation in recent weeks, and in particular in recent days, is confirmed, “White” will be the color of the whole country on June 21st.

Good data

“Seven regions are less than 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants“, which is” the threshold to find the trace. The curve continues to decrease, we can finally say that Italy is at low risk, ”said Silvio Brusaferro, president of the Higher Institute of Health and spokesperson for the technical committee advising the government.

Besides the drop in the Rt contagion index, which is below 1 across the country and fell from 0.78 this week compared to 0.86 last week, the hospitalization figures stand out (no region has occupied more than 19% of its COVID beds) and intensive care admissions (that have fallen from 29% to 19% in the past seven days).

All these data allow us to have “cautious optimism” and think of a “traceability like last summer, but much safer this year because there are many vaccinated”, according to the Director General of Prevention, Gianni Rezza, while the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, left hear this Friday, at the G20 Health summit, that in “a few months” it will be possible to do without masks.

Improving the health situation also allows check the curfew, The departure has just been delayed by one hour, at 11:00 p.m. (9:00 p.m. GMT), after several months, while June 7 will begin at midnight (10:00 p.m. GMT) and its total abolition is scheduled for June 21.

And there are also new openings that are long overdue, like shopping malls on weekends, from here, as well as ski lifts, while from tomorrow you can go to gyms and outdoor swimming pools. In Milan, where they opened this Saturday, the available tickets were sold out.

Outdoor sports events and competitions will be open to the public – with a maximum of one thousand people – from June 1, key date for bars and restaurants, because it can be consumed again on the premises, which the restaurant industry has been waiting for a long time.

Bars and restaurants

From June 15, civil and religious celebrations and ceremonies will be authorized -Weddings, baptisms and other events- if the participants have the “green certificate”, which shows if they are vaccinated or have a negative test or have already passed COVID-19 What will remain closed will be the discos, both in full air and in closed spaces, which angered the nightlife industry.

The goal of the reopening process is to meet the big challenge: the revival of tourism with the start of the summer season, which with the improvement of health data and the vaccination campaign, which yesterday exceeded the 30 million doses provided, he finally takes a closer look.

“We want tourists with us and we want them to come back soon, Italy is open to tourists: there will be a European passport” and “we are coordinating with the European Commission”, “in the meantime Italy will have its national green pass», Assured Draghi at the close of the G20 summit on health which was held in Rome last Friday.

Source: EFE and ANSA

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