The delta variant is spreading rapidly throughout Europe and is on the rise in Italy as well. For this reason, the Ministry of Health has issued a circular in which an international alert in relation to the spread of the infection. In the note released by the Directorate General for Health Prevention and addressed by the Ministry of Health to the Regions and Autonomous Provinces, it is expected that «in Europe 70% of new Sars-CoV-2 infections will be due to the Delta variant (B.1.617. 2) by the beginning of August and 90% by the end of August ». A scenario traced on the basis of the current evolution that sees an acceleration of the spread of the infection recorded on the occasion of the return of many young people from holidays.
“Any relaxation during the summer months of the severity of non-pharmacological measures in place in the EU / EEA at the beginning of June – reads the Ministry’s circulation – without a simultaneous increase in the levels of complete vaccinations in the population, could lead to a sudden and significant increase in daily Covid-19 cases in all age groups, and especially in those over 50, with an associated increase in hospitalizations and deaths “.
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Covid among Finnish fans …
The note reports what was announced by the Finnish authorities who have recorded numerous cases of Covid-19 among the approximately 4500 fans returning from the Euro2020 football matches held in Russia: “Most of the return traffic to Finland took place between the June 21 and 25, 2021. As of July 1, 2021, 481 confirmed cases have been notified among passengers returning from matches in St. Petersburg and 165 secondary cases. The analysis of a subset of samples taken from the cases of positive fans confirmed the presence of the Delta variant in all the cases so far sequenced.
… and among Dutch tourists
Health authorities in the Netherlands report a notable increase in COVID-19 infections among students returning from Palma de Mallorca (Spain) and the Algarve (Portugal) after a short vacation. Between 8 and 13 June 2021, 81 cases were recorded on 16 return flights from Palma de Mallorca, and 60 cases on 14 flights from Faro, Portugal. Over the same period, the general surveillance system of the Netherlands detected 205 cases in people aged between 15 and 19 with a recent travel history to Spain or Portugal. The Ministry underlines that the infected people belong to an age group only partially reached by the vaccination campaign. Transmission risks could be high.
Most of the newly identified cases are occurring in the unvaccinated young population, in many cases related to super-diffusive indoor leisure events, where large groups of people from different places (both Spanish and foreign) spend a lot of time together without following the foreseen preventive measures. “Other age groups are starting to be affected by this increase, especially those in which vaccination is not yet complete.”