ANSA: Italy's COVID-19 case incidence down to 37

ROME. KAZINFORM Italy's COVID-19 incidence has continued on a downward trend while the Rt transmission number is steady, according to a draft of the latest coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS).

The report said Italy registered 37 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants in the period from September 24 to 30, compared to 45 in last week's report, ANSA reports.

Experts say it is possible to trace and track cases if the incidence is below 50.

It said the Rt number was 0.83 in the period of September 8 to 21, while it was 0.82 in last week's report.

A Rt over 1 indicates that the epidemic is in a phase of expansion.

The report said the pressure the coronavirus is exerting on Italy's health service was down slightly.

It said the proportion of Italy's intensive care places occupied by COVID sufferers was down to 5.1%, with the number falling from 516 on September 21 to 459 on September 28. It said the proportion of ordinary hospital ward places taken up by coronavirus patients was 5.9%, with the number dropping from 3,937 to 3,418.

It said all of Italy's regions and autonomous provinces were classed as low risk for COVID, except the Lazio, the region Rome belongs to, where the risk is 'moderate'.

The report will be presented later on Friday after it has been examined by the government's 'control room' COVID taskforce.