Last updated: Monday 19th April 2021 at 18:00 CET
Key: Purple shows an improvement and orange a deterioration Number of new coronavirus cases in Italy today: 8,864 - decrease of 917 from equivalent day last week (Monday 12th April - 9,781) Number of people currently infected in Italy: 493,489 (decrease of 11,122 compared to previous day) Weekly Comparison Total number of new cases in the last 7 days (13th - 19th April): 99,415 Total number of new cases in previous 7 day period (6th - 12th April): 100,740 Weekly difference: decrease of 1,325 (1%) Vaccinations Vaccinations carried out in last 24 hours: 253,013 Vaccinations carried out in previous 24 hour period: 314,662 First dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 188,996 First dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 213,627 Second dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 64,017 Second dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 69,125 Total number of vaccinations carried out: 15,352,790 Total number of people to receive first dose only: 10,845,464 Total number of people vaccinated with first and second doses: 4,507,326 Testing Number of tests carried out for today's figures: 146,728 Previous day number of tests: 230,116 Positivity rate: 6% Yesterday's positivity rate: 5.5% R number (rate of transmission) Latest R number as of Friday 16th April: 0.85 Previous R number: 0.92 Deaths Deaths in last 24 hours: 316 Deaths on equivalent day last week: 358 (Monday 12th April) Good morning on Monday 19th April. A new week begins with the pandemic temporarily ousted from its customary place at the top table of the news headlines by the murky world of football finance. The three biggest Italian clubs (Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan) have pledged to join another 12 teams from across Europe to form a new Super League. In a football-mad country, this story is going to run and run.
Of course it'll be some while before the pandemic shuts the door behind it on the way out and it's still having a huge impact on our day to day lives. Yesterday in Italy there were 12,694 new cases of Covid 19 which is a significant reduction of more than three thousand from the same day the previous week. The numbers are starting to look a little better overall but if we compare the previous two weeks, the improvement is just 1%. Vaccinations are being carried out faster now; more than ten million people have had at least one dose and just under half of those people have had both doses. With the jab roll-out hitting 300,000 - 400,000 per day now, it won't be long before we start to see an impact on the new cases and numbers of deaths. In light of the public protests over the past few weeks, the Italian government has promised to get the country up and running again as soon as possible. As of next Monday (26th April), movement between regions will be allowed again but only for those regions in the yellow zone. And as you can guess, there are no regions currently in the yellow zone. Many of the plans that have been discussed are little more than sound-bites at the moment and it's difficult to understand exactly what will be possible in each region and when. Hopefully some more concrete details will start to emerge on that over the course of this week. Some changes have been confirmed however: Campania has now changed from a red to an orange zone, swimming pools will be able to open on 15th May and gyms can open from 1st June. There's also a greater desire to allow restaurants to open for outdoor dining only and similar plans for concerts and sporting events to be held outdoors with reduced restrictions. As and when the changes are made official, they'll be updated on the home page. Let's transport ourselves away for a moment from the world's troubles and look forward to when we'll be able to travel again, relax in the sunshine and discover new places. It feels like a dream right now but things will start to get better soon. One of the places you might like to add to your future travel lists is the town of Modica in Sicily. It's located in the south east corner of the island region and makes up one eighth of the UNESCO World Heritage listing of Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto. Modica is one of eight towns which were rebuilt following an earthquake in 1693; each town now something of an open-air museum in homage to the late Baroque architecture of the period. Actually there's a good deal more than Baroque architecture on display in Modica; you can get an amazing view of the town from the road that leads up to Ragusa, another of the eight towns on the list. From this roadside spot you can see Modica sprawled out below you with its clusters of tightly-packed stone houses occasionally punctuated by a series of outstanding churches. Modica is also famous for its chocolate; there are dozens of places throughout the town where you can try the produce which is different from the chocolate we're all used to, as well as a chocolate museum. Fans of the Inspector Montalbano TV series will particularly enjoy exploring the area around Modica as it contains a number of filming locations for the show such as the town of Scicli (the police headquarters of fictional Vigata in the show), Punta Secca the beach resort where Inspector Montalbano wakes up every morning and has his breakfast, and the beautifully-decorous Donnafugata Castle which has appeared in a number of film and television productions. I'll leave you with a few photos of Modica and the surrounding area for now and I'll be back with another update tomorrow. Buona giornata Last updated: Sunday 18th April 2021 at 17:54 CET
Key: Purple shows an improvement and orange a deterioration Number of new coronavirus cases in Italy today: 12,694 - decrease of 3,043 from equivalent day last week (Sunday 11th April - 15,737) Number of people currently infected in Italy: 504,611 (decrease of 697 compared to previous day) Weekly Comparison Total number of new cases in the last 7 days (12th - 18th April): 100,332 Total number of new cases in previous 7 day period (5th - 11th April): 101,627 Weekly difference: decrease of 1,295 (1%) Vaccinations Vaccinations carried out in last 24 hours: 314,662 Vaccinations carried out in previous 24 hour period: 408,113 First dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 213,627 First dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 307,078 Second dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 69,125 Second dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 101,035 Total number of vaccinations carried out: 15,099,777 Total number of people to receive first dose only: 10,656,468 Total number of people vaccinated with first and second doses: 4,443,309 Testing Number of tests carried out for today's figures: 230,116 Previous day number of tests: 331,734 Positivity rate: 5.5% Yesterday's positivity rate: 4.6% R number (rate of transmission) Latest R number as of Friday 16th April: 0.85 Previous R number: 0.92 Deaths Deaths in last 24 hours: 251 Deaths on equivalent day last week: 331 (Sunday 11th April) Last updated: Saturday 17th April 2021 at 17:59 CET
Key: Purple shows an improvement and orange a deterioration Number of new coronavirus cases in Italy today: 15,370 - decrease of 2,188 from equivalent day last week (Saturday 10th April - 17,558) Number of people currently infected in Italy: 505,308 (decrease of 1,430 compared to previous day) Weekly Comparison Total number of new cases in the last 7 days (11th - 17th April): 103,375 Total number of new cases in previous 7 day period (4th - 10th April): 103,906 Weekly difference: decrease of 531 (0.5%) Vaccinations Vaccinations carried out in last 24 hours: 408,113 Vaccinations carried out in previous 24 hour period: 329,280 First dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 307,078 First dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 235,260 Second dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 101,035 Second dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 94,020 Total number of vaccinations carried out: 14,785,115 Total number of people vaccinated with first and second doses: 4,374,184 Testing Number of tests carried out for today's figures: 331,734 Previous day number of tests: 327,704 Positivity rate: 4.6% Yesterday's positivity rate: 4.9% R number (rate of transmission) Latest R number as of Friday 16th April: 0.85 Previous R number: 0.92 Deaths Deaths in last 24 hours: 310 Deaths on equivalent day last week: 344 (Saturday 10th April) Last updated: Friday 16th April 2021 at 18:11 CET
Key: Purple shows an improvement and orange a deterioration Number of new coronavirus cases in Italy today: 15,943 - decrease of 2,979 from equivalent day last week (Friday 9th April - 18,922) Number of people currently infected in Italy: 506,738 (decrease of 3,285 compared to previous day) Weekly Comparison Total number of new cases in the last 7 days (10th - 16th April): 109,213 Total number of new cases in previous 7 day period (3rd - 9th April): 107,592 Weekly difference: increase of 1,621 (1%) Vaccinations Vaccinations carried out in last 24 hours: 329,280 Vaccinations carried out in previous 24 hour period: 332,009 First dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 235,260 First dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 244,246 Second dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 94,020 Second dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 87,763 Total number of vaccinations carried out: 14,377,002 Total number of people vaccinated with first and second doses: 4,273,149 Testing Number of tests carried out for today's figures: 327,704 Previous day number of tests: 319,633 Positivity rate: 4.9% Yesterday's positivity rate: 5.3% R number (rate of transmission) Latest R number as of Friday 16th April: 0.85 Previous R number: 0.92 Deaths Deaths in last 24 hours: 429 Deaths on equivalent day last week: 718 (Friday 9th April) Good afternoon on Friday 16th April. We're greeted at the gateway to the weekend by a falling R number and chilly temperatures awaiting the drivers at the Formula One Grand Prix in Emilia Romagna.
Yesterday in Italy there were 16,974 new cases of Covid-19 reported, a very slight fall on the previous Thursday but a reduction nevertheless after a few days of increases. Friday is the day when the latest R (transmission rate) is updated and it's down a little bit, to 0.85. As we all know by now, anything under 1 means the virus spread is contracting, so that's good. As alluded to at the top, we're set for a colder than usual weekend and these are very un-Formula One like temperatures which will provide an interesting set of challenges at Imola this weekend where it could also rain for the race. These wintery conditions will persist into the first part of next week, improving towards next weekend. I won't dwell on the latest news or the pandemic today; this morning I've been working on my latest Top Ten on Friday article (this will catch on I'm determined!) to create a list of Top Ten Piazzas in Italy. Today's photos will show some of the runners and riders and to the more astute among you, that wording might just provide a clue as to the overall winner..... I'll be back with more on Monday, have a great weekend and let me know what you think of my list by using the comments section on Facebook or Twitter. Ciao Last updated: Thursday 15th April 2021 at 18:07 CET
Key: Purple shows an improvement and orange a deterioration Number of new coronavirus cases in Italy today: 16,974 - decrease of 233 from equivalent day last week (Thursday 8th April - 17,207) Number of people currently infected in Italy: 510,023 (decrease of 4,637 compared to previous day) Weekly Comparison Total number of new cases in the last 7 days (9th - 15th April): 112,192 Total number of new cases in previous 7 day period (2nd - 8th April): 110,572 Weekly difference: increase of 1,620 (1%) Vaccinations Vaccinations carried out in last 24 hours: 332,009 Vaccinations carried out in previous 24 hour period: 338,568 First dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 244,246 First dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 265,438 Second dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 87,763 Second dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 73,130 Total number of vaccinations carried out: 14,047,722 Total number of people vaccinated with first and second doses: 4,179,129 Testing Number of tests carried out for today's figures: 319,633 Previous day number of tests: 334,766 Positivity rate: 5.3% Yesterday's positivity rate: 4.8% R number (rate of transmission) Latest R number as of Friday 9th April: 0.92 Previous R number: 0.98 Deaths Deaths in last 24 hours: 380 Deaths on equivalent day last week: 487 (Thursday 8th April) Good morning on Thursday 15th April. With a growing number of protests on the streets of Italy, it feels as if the country is reaching a point in the lockdown where it's time to say basta ("enough").
The latest protests were by workers from the entertainment industry who, dramatically as you would expect, took to the stage of the Globe Theatre in Rome's Villa Borghese park. After a year of lockdowns and a variety of other restrictions being imposed on the populous, there's a growing feeling that the country needs to focus more on finding ways of reopening businesses safely. Leading government officials are meeting today to discuss a timetable for a gradual reopening with the middle of May mooted as the likely date for that process to start. We've already heard in recent weeks plans to open up the country to tourism on 2nd June and we're quickly closing in on that date without it being confirmed. Yesterday in Italy there were a further 16,168 new cases of Covid 19, an increase of more than two thousand from the same day of the previous week. Over the last few days a gradual trend has emerged of an upward curve in positive tests which is a cause for concern. Temperatures remain low with the elongated winter refusing to budge: today's warmest city will be Palermo with just 15° Celsius while Turin will rise no higher than 2° C. These mediocre temperatures will linger for another week or so but look set to rise to the mid-20's from next Thursday onwards. Today's photos come from the town of Bassano del Grappa in Veneto. The town takes its name from the imposing mountain that overlooks it: Monte Grappa, an important theatre of operations during the two world wars of the last century. The second part of that name also refers to the local tipple that's produced in the area. If you've never tried grappa before, tread carefully as it's liable to blow your head off, metaphorically of course. The iconic sight of Bassano del Grappa is the wooden bridge that spans the River Brenta. It's known as the Ponte Vecchio, just like the really famous one in Florence, but also as the Ponte degli Alpini after the Alpine soldiers who rebuilt it after it was damaged in the Second World War. This laid-back medieval town is characterised by a collection of pretty piazzas surrounded by historic buildings and not to be missed. Back with more tomorrow. Buona giornata. Last updated: Wednesday 14th April 2021 at 17:50 CET
Key: Purple shows an improvement and orange a deterioration Number of new coronavirus cases in Italy today: 16,168 - increase of 2,472 from equivalent day last week (Wednesday 7th April - 13,696) Number of people currently infected in Italy: 514,660 (decrease of 4,560 compared to previous day) Weekly Comparison Total number of new cases in the last 7 days (8th - 14th April): 108,914 Total number of new cases in previous 7 day period (1st - 7th April): 116,985 Weekly difference: decrease of 8,071 (-7%) Testing Number of tests carried out for today's figures: 334,766 Previous day number of tests: 304,990 Positivity rate: 4.8% Yesterday's positivity rate: 4.4% R number (rate of transmission) Latest R number as of Friday 9th April: 0.92 Previous R number: 0.98 Vaccinations Vaccinations carried out in last 24 hours: 338,568 Vaccinations carried out in previous 24 hour period: 251,687 First dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 265,438 First dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 186,095 Second dose vaccinations in last 24 hours: 73,130 Second dose vaccinations in previous 24 hour period: 65,592 Total number of vaccinations carried out: 13,715,713 Total number of people vaccinated with first and second doses: 4,091,366 Deaths Deaths in last 24 hours: 469 Deaths on equivalent day last week: 627 (Wednesday 7th April) Good morning on Wednesday 14th April. The middle of the week arrives with more anti-lockdown protests in Rome and the country still very much in the grip of the pandemic.
Yesterday in Italy there were 13,447 new cases of Covid-19 reported. That represents a big increase from the previous Tuesday but as last week was the day after the Easter bank holiday, the lower than usual number then could have been a result of a reporting lag. There's really nothing else to suggest the virus is all of a sudden spiralling out of control but we'll keep a close eye on how things develop later. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson made some interesting comments yesterday that might give us pause for thought. He put the country's recovery down in large part to the lockdown rather than the vaccine rollout and also made it quite clear that he expects the numbers of new cases, hospitalisations and deaths to increase now that many of the restrictions have been eased. This line of thinking is of a similar vein to accepting that it will be impossible to completely eradicate Coronavirus and that we're going to have to live with it, in a similar way to how we live with the flu for example. I suppose we've all become accustomed to seeing the daily numbers presented to us and hoping for them to drop a bit, but have we reached the stage where that's no longer relevant? We certainly don't study statistics of other diseases with this level of attention so if Covid is going to be just another part of daily life, do we still need the same focus on the numbers? The summer will be with us soon and if we follow a similar trajectory to last year, the case numbers should drop significantly. By the time the colder weather returns in the autumn, everyone who wants a vaccine will have had one and we should be in a much better place. That silver bullet of the warmer weather is yet to be fired with current temperatures remaining unseasonably low. Topping the charts today is the capital of Sardinia, Cagliari with 18° Celsius while Northern Italy is decidedly cold: Trento for example will reach a maximum of 4° C today. That said, there's plenty of sunshine everywhere Today's photos come from the sunny seaside town of Santa Flavia in Sicily. Situated a 20 minute journey along the coast from Palermo, the town is popular with locals but manages to escape the mass tourism of the island regions major resorts such as Cefalù or Taormina. Part of the reason for that is due to its size; there's one medium-sized beach and one little inlet with a tiny beach so space is at a premium. However, if you visit just a little but out of the main season in say June or September, and on a weekday, you're likely to find a parking spot, some space on the beach and some wonderful views. Buona giornata |
AuthorMy name is Dion Protani, founder of Italy Review. The Italy Review blog is designed to provide ideas and inspiration to visit places in Italy you might not have heard about, as well those you have. Archives
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