Omicron variant, D’Amato: “Worry, we expect cases in Lazio”

The Omicron variant “worries us, surely this variant will be destined to become predominant and we also expect cases in our Region. We are concerned about speed and we must be faster”. Thus the councilor for health of the Lazio Region, Alessio D’Amato, guest of ‘TimeLine’ on SkyTg24, answering the question on the risks associated with the Omicron variant. While on the sequencing front, D’Amato specified that as the Lazio Region “we have greatly strengthened the sequencing network, but I must say that this is somewhat, at national level, an Achilles’ heel: we must and can do more. Some time ago – the commissioner recalled – there was also talk of a national consortium of the Government on sequencing, but then it never caught on. Here I think this is a point where we need to pay more attention ”. D’amato a Spiegato that with regard to students, “the main road is vaccinations. In the 12-18 year old group we have vaccinated over 75% of children and I hope that this percentage will be the target for the 5-11 year old. If if it happened, everything would be simpler for schools and social relations. On the 15th we will start the administration also for children in the 5-11 years range and we will do it safely “. With regard to the numbers of infections in Lazio, also relating to distance learning, the commissioner stated that “now the incidence of the pandemic runs in the lowest groups, of the smallest, for those who have not had the vaccination. We have, in these groups, an incidence that is seven times higher than the population that has been vaccinated: this is clearly an indication that our technicians tell us to face through a safe, transparent vaccination campaign, trying to give all the information to families “. Answering the question of how many citizens can be vaccinated but not yet vaccinated in the Lazo, the commissioner explains that” there are about 500 thousand unvaccinated, 120 thousand are over 50 “. “A first effect” of the introduction of the Super Green Pass “was an important increase, of more than 70%, in administrations: both in booster doses and in the first doses. Yesterday we reached over 56,000 administrations, which is certainly a considerable ceiling. So yes, we saw a first effect, and we also saw it with the first doses that exceeded 4,000, so in this case too there was an important effect and we hope it will last ”. Finally, on the possibility of a passage in the yellow zone of Lazio, D’Amato stressed that “we are monitored every week, and the latest monitoring indicated an employment of 10.8% in the medical area and 7.8% in therapies These are somewhat special weeks, because within these there are also holidays that usually slow down the organization within the hospital network a bit. But, for the moment, our technicians of the In the next fifteen days Istituto Spallanzani excludes any change of band: obviously this is linked to two factors, namely the ability to vaccinate on the one hand and the ability to respect the rules on the other “.