ROMA – “The virus circulates more than documented by the new cases identified: in fact we have entered the fourth wave”, says Nino Cartabellotta, president of the Gimbe Foundation, commenting on the new data processed by his organization. Because the numbers speak for themselves: in the week 21-27 July, compared to the previous one, in all Regions except Molise, the development of the foundation revealed a percentage increase in new cases and in 40 Provinces the incidence exceeds 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Not only that: Gimbe’s monitoring reveals in the week 21-27 July 2021, compared to the previous one, an increase in new cases (31.963 against 19.390) and deaths (111 against 76). Currently positive cases are also increasing (70,310 against 49,310), people in home isolation (68,510 against 47,951), hospitalizations with symptoms (1,611 against 1,194) and intensive care (189 a week ago was 165). And compared to the previous week, the following changes were recorded: deaths: 111 (+46.1 per cent); intensive care: +24 (+14.5 percent); hospitalized with symptoms: +417 (+34.9 percent); home isolation: +20,559 (+42.9 per cent); new cases: 31,963 (+64.8 per cent); currently positive cases: +21,000 (+42.6 percent).
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by Elena Dusi
In short, “the new weekly cases continue to rise – points out Cartabellotta – and are underestimated by the insufficient testing activity and the failure to resume contact tracing, made more and more difficult by the increase in positives”. In fact, in the face of a surge in the positive / persons tested ratio – from 1.8 percent in the week of June 30-July 6 to 9.1 percent on July 21-27 – the moving average of new cases has undergone a decline in the past week.
The hospitalizations
Three Provinces have over 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants: Caltanissetta (272), Cagliari (257) and Ragusa (193). After 15 weeks of decline, deaths are also rising again: 111 in the last week, with an average of 16 per day compared to 11 in the previous week. “After the first signs of recovery recorded last week – says Renata Gili, research manager on health services of the Gimbe Foundation – a slight increase in hospitalizations is confirmed, documenting the hospital impact of increased viral circulation”.
Coronavirus Italy, the July 28 bulletin: 5,696 new cases and 15 deaths. The positive rate increasing to 2.3%
Overall, the number of beds occupied by Covid patients in the medical area went from 1,088 on July 16 to 1,611 on July 27 and that of intensive care from 151 on July 14 to 189 on July 27, although the percentages remain very high. low: nationally 3 per cent in the medical area and 2 per cent in intensive care, with all the Regions recording values well below 15 per cent for the medical area and 10 per cent for the critical area. “Daily admissions to intensive care – explains Marco Mosti, operational director of the Gimbe Foundation – continue to slowly increase: the 7-day moving average is 14 admissions / day compared to 10 in the previous week”.
Three million students between 12 and 19 years still to be vaccinated
Turning instead to the vaccines chapter of the more than 4.5 million girls and boys between 12 and 19 years old, just over 670 thousand (14.7%) have completed the vaccination cycle and almost 765 thousand (16.8%) have received only the first dose. Therefore, in this age group 68.5% – points out the Gimbe monitoring – or 3.121.710 is still totally uncovered, with significant regional differences, ranging from 85.9% in Umbria to 61.4% in Umbria. ‘Abruzzo. And in this regard, he stresses to the Gimbe Foundation that “if the reopening of schools in the presence of 100% must be the priority objective, focusing exclusively on vaccination coverage is risky”.
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