Omicron Italia variant, waiting for data. Today Draghi speaks

“The arrival of the winter season and the spread of the Omicron variant oblige us to be extremely cautious in managing the coming months”. Prime Minister Mario Draghi expresses himself in this way in view of the control room that tomorrow, December 23, will decide on any measures and restrictions to be adopted to stem the infections and the Omicron variant. Italy, according to the latest bulletin, exceeds 30 thousand daily infections. Today the coronavirus emergency, a few days before Christmas, will certainly be among the topics that the premier will address in the traditional press conference at the end of the year, scheduled for 10.30. Read also Decisions will be taken on the basis of the data collected with the ‘flash survey’. The goal is to define a more accurate map on the diffusion of the variant in our country. “By 23 morning the results of the ‘flash survey’ with an updated, timely and recent photo on the diffusion of the Omicron variant”, Professor Mauro Pistello, director of the Unit of Virology of the University Hospital of Pisa, vice president of the Italian Society of Microbiology, and one of the founders of the sequencing network of the Higher Institute of Health (Iss). “Initially, the deadline for submitting these data was December 29 – he explained – but precisely following the Council of Ministers that will meet, we were asked to make an effort, to give a partial characterization by the first 23 in the morning in order to have a photo as updated, timely and recent as possible on the dissemination of this variant”. The Christmas and New Year period looks set to produce color changes for several regions. Veneto, currently the yellow zone, could slide into the orange zone at the beginning of the new year, according to the scenario outlined by the governor Luca Zaia. “Our model says that at least until the first week of January we will be growing” with infections “and approaching the orange zone. This will continue to allow us to live almost normally because we are vaccinated. For those who are not, however, it means closure. of municipal boundaries and many activities “, he says, referring to the restrictions that will apply to those who do not have the Super green pass. Lombardy hopes to keep the white zone, as Governor Attilio Fontana says. “The data show that the number of infections is growing, but that the number of hospitalizations in both intensive care and ordinary is not growing equally. Evidently, vaccination has contributed substantially to lowering the severity of infections,” he explains. “We could remain blank, but it is clear that we will have to put in place a series of greater attentions, so we must always keep the mask in the gatherings, always indoors, keep a certain distance and not let ourselves go to excessive kisses and hugs, we will have to stay a lot more careful. Then we will wait if the government on Thursday will take further measures or not “, concludes Fontana. For Lazo, who from 23 will wear the mask outdoors, a New Year’s Eve is looming in the yellow zone. “Compared to a year ago, the pressure on the hospital network is much, much less. That said, we are still in a white zone situation, but with an evolution that is likely to lead us to a color change towards the New Year,” said recently. ‘Lazio councilor for health, Alessio D’Amato. Governor Vincenzo De Luca echoes him from Campania: “I urge you to be careful because the Omicron variant is exploding. Compared to the data we have of Campania health care, we should already be in the orange zone, not in the yellow zone”.