“Not to move between municipalities at Christmas, the risk is too high”

The rules that prohibit displacements even among municipalities, holidays have been introduced to prevent celebrations from raising the contagion curve. These days we are witnessing a moderate decline in the epidemiological curve, but the signs are not good. And the danger of a third wave in early 2021 is always around the corner. Are the travel rules too strict? The issue has been at the center of discussion within the government for days. Currently, the restrictions on travel between regions and municipalities included in decree law no. 158 and in the Dpcm of December 3, they establish that:

• From December 21, 2020 to January 6, 2021, travel between different regions will be prohibited;
• On December 25 and 26, 2020 and January 1, 2021, travel between different municipalities will also be prohibited (except for proven work needs, situations of need or health reasons);
• It will always be possible, even from December 21 to January 6, to return to one’s residence, domicile or home.

The travel ban on December 25 and 26 and January 1 decided by the government with Decree Law December 2 n. 158 and with the Dpcm of December 3, it could have an exception for the smallest municipalities by kilometers or provincial borders, or it will be limited to municipalities with a certain number of inhabitants. However, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has not yet decided which legislative instrument will be used to introduce the repeal, although yesterday he unbalanced the possibility of Parliament modifying the decree law that is being converted. But the times for such an operation are very tight. In fact, according to some, they are not really there, as we have explained. who.

“Too many cases, not to travel between municipalities at Christmas”

“I don’t see in the numbers, to date, the security to be able to reopen. We still have too many deaths, which means that those infected in recent weeks were many more. The risk is too high ”. The Deputy Minister of Health said so Pierpaolo Sileri on the hypothesis of relaxing the restrictions for holidays. And it is a point of view also shared by the Higher Institute of Health. “No to the weakening of measures and mobility” or there will be “a reversal of the trend.” This will require “every effort” possible during the Christmas period. While the hypothesis of modifying the measures relating to travel between municipalities at Christmas is being discussed, the warning comes from the president of the Higher Institute of Health (Iss), Silvio Brusaferro, during the press conference on the data analysis of the regional Covid-19 monitoring of the control room of the Ministry of Health and Iss.

Coronavirus, today’s newsletter Saturday, December 12: the new cases of covid region by region

“The number of new cases in Italy and Europe is progressively decreasing. The trend is decreasing but the number is still significant. The high incidence and the current strong impact on health services – explains the expert – require being very cautious, to avoid significantly reducing mitigation measures, including mobility measures. The epidemiological situation remains serious and it is recommended that a modulation of mitigation measures in the autonomous regions and provinces avoid relaxing the measures themselves and the level of care “because there is a risk “of a rapid reversal of the trend. We must avoid that the relaxation of the measures adopted in recent days leads to a resurgence of new cases”, underlines Brusaferro, for whom “during the holiday period we must make every effort to have early next year a number of new cases significantly less than the current one, which is too high. “

The numbers in the Italian regions and the Rt

“In all Italian regions – said Brusaferro – there is a decrease, in some milder and in others more stable, but the incidence of cases dropped to 14 days is 455 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants and 7 days it fell to 193 cases per every 100 thousand inhabitants. These are still high numbers that show how far our ability is to go from mitigation to containment ”. The Rt index, Brusaferro explains, “is below 1 in all regions except one. So, most regions have a moderate overall risk rating, some low and 4 low.”

There is also a decrease in the occupation of beds in the medical area and in intensive care. In many regions – he continues – we have a low probability of reaching saturation at 30 days in ordinary and intensive care beds, while in recent weeks it was much higher. But there is still a very strong commitment from the health services. “