There are 141.262 new infections from Covid in the last 24 hours. A figure that brings the number of people currently positive to the virus in Italy to over one million: 1.021.697. According to data from the Ministry of Health, the victims are 111, while yesterday there were 155. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the victims have been a total of 137.513. We are therefore in full four wave.
The fourth wave of the pandemic imposes new measures in 2022, despite the vaccination campaign having allowed Italy to inoculate two doses of serum to over 90 percent of the population. Below are the measures that will start already from the current month.
From January XNUMXst no quarantine, but only self-monitoring for asymptomatic subjects who have received the booster dose, or have completed the primary vaccination course in the previous 4 months, or have recovered from Covid in the previous 4 months, who come into contact with a positive person. However, you will be obliged to wear the Ffp2 mask for at least ten days. The self-monitoring period ends on the fifth day. Those who have been vaccinated for more than 4 months, if asymptomatic, will have to do a 5-day quarantine in these cases. No changes for those who are not vaccinated: the quarantine remains at 10 days.
From January 3, Lombardy, Piedmont, Lazio and Sicily are added to the list of regions in yellow zone, namely Calabria, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Marche, Veneto and the autonomous provinces of Bolzano and Trento. The gradual transition of various territories to yellow, an indication that infections are starting to weigh on the numbers of hospitalizations and the employment of intensive care throughout Italy, in some cases is seen as a prelude to orange, given the progressive increase in positives. The latest decrees have effectively canceled the old differences between the white and yellow areas. In both, the mask is mandatory outdoors, but there are no restrictions on movement and all activities remain open. The rules on the green certificate and on the reinforced certificate apply in general.
Super Green pass for all workers. The decree that provides for the obligation of the Super Green pass to all workers, after the vaccination obligation already foreseen for health care, law enforcement, military and teachers, could arrive in the CDM on 5 January. Some political forces, in particular Lega and M5s, are opposed to new measures on this front and mediation could be reached, starting with the obligation of the green certificate, initially only for public employees who do front office work, then gradually with other categories. The issue remains open and even if the first knots are resolved on the 5th, any provision of this type will come into force no earlier than February.
Stadium capacity. Serie A restarts and, given the latest decree, the maximum capacity of the stadiums will be allowed a maximum of 50%, as well as for all outdoor sports facilities such as sports halls, as early as January 35st. For those indoors the maximum capacity must be XNUMX%.
School. We go back to school in most of Italy, even if in some territories the date for the restart has been postponed regardless. In kindergarten teachers will have to wear Ffp2 masks, as well as in primary and secondary classes where there are pupils who do not have a mask because they are exempt for specific reasons. However, the quarantine system and Dad for students could also change, following the proposals of the Regions made to the Government. Given the launch of the vaccination campaign for the 5-11 age group, even for elementary schools and the sixth grade, the hypothesis is to foresee, in the case of two students who tested positive in a class, only self-monitoring (5 days) for vaccinated children and 10-day quarantine with Dad (the latter case where applicable) and tests at the end of isolation for the unvaccinated. In kindergartens there would remain a ten-day quarantine for all with a swab with only one positive case. The proposal would have found several points of agreement by the Government and these new measures could be decided shortly.
Lockdown for the unvaccinated. From January 10, the enhanced green certificate will be mandatory everywhere, except in shops and for essential services. Therefore, the squeeze on non-vaccinated people starts, decided with the latest decree: the Super Green pass will be mandatory to get on trains, buses, metro and all other means of transport, eat in outdoor places, to enter hotels, go to fairs, ski resorts and many other places for socializing and entertainment.
Booster dose. Also from 10 January the times for administering the booster become shorter: it will be possible to receive it after 4 months, instead of 5. But these are not mandatory times. While from 1 February the super green pass will last six months. Those who have received the last dose to immunize (i.e. the end of the first cycle) or the booster for more than 6 months will see their pass expire if they do not take a further dose of vaccine.
The commissioner for the emergency, Francesco Figliuolo, in agreement with the Minister of Health, will sign a protocol in January with pharmacies and authorized dealers to limit the price of the Ffp2 masks until 31 March. The government will monitor the trend of prices, which could be between 50 cents and one euro.