Italy: COVID-19 infection surge

As indicated in the weekly Bulletin published by the Italian Ministry of Health, the number of new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection detected between 19 and 25 September was 11,164, representing a 31% increase from the 8,490 cases reported the previous week. Additionally, the number of deaths associated with the virus rose from 93 to 112 during the same period. Lombardy is experiencing the sharpest increase in infections in all the Italian regions, with 3,102 new cases detected between 19 and 25 September. In addition to Lombardy, other areas, including the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and Friuli Venezia Giulia, exhibit elevated positivity rates, reaching 30.5% and 23.2%, respectively. At the national level, the positivity rate increased from 10.4% in the preceding week to 13.1%.