Covid: summer without restrictions, but there are those who are already looking to autumn

“After June 15, I believe the conditions are in place to reach a summer without restrictions”. It is not an official document, but a reliable source. The Undersecretary of Health Andrea Costa said guest of Radio24. “The country and the government have chosen gradualness to tackle the pandemic, in restrictive measures and easing, after two years there is a different responsibility on the part of citizens, in some situations they continue to wear masks, it’s time to give confidence to the Italians “.

Summer 2022 is expected to be unrestricted. «We are confident», added Costa, «that we are facing a new phase. The important thing is to proceed with the fourth dose for the elderly and the frail because it makes them more protected, as well as booster for the approximately three million citizens who are waiting for the booster dose. It is important to complete the vaccination cycle so that we are all protected in the event of a possible resurgence of the virus “.

The fear is that of a return to high numbers in the autumn. There is a hypothesis of 20 million cases after the summer due to the subvariants Omicron: these are highly transmissible and appear to make reinfections more likely. The calculation is based on the US forecast of 100,000 cases. “The vaccination will be reinforced periodically with new updated products and instantly with the current ones for the most fragile subjects to whom a fourth dose was immediately suggested” explained the virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco.

The figure seems enormous, but according to Pregliasco the real dimensions of the infection with a majority of asymptomatic cases already elude us today. For the autumn the hypothesis is the reintroduction of those measures that with the June 15 should disappear, first of all the masks.

Until June 15th the Ffp2 on all local and long-distance means of transport. Masks are still needed for indoor shows and sporting events: cinemas, theaters, concert halls and sports halls. The obligation to wear a mask indoors is still valid for visitors to health facilities. They take them to school until the last day of school. Smart working with simplified communication remains until August 31st.

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