ROME, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Italy's coronavirus indicators have taken a turn for the worse this week, with the infection rate reaching its highest level since mid-May, while the mortality rate rose after 15 consecutive weeks of declines, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
To be sure, the indicators are still relatively strong. On Thursday, the ministry reported 6,171 new infections, the highest one-day figure since mid-May. But that is still far below the daily peaks of more than 25,000 in March and more than 40,000 in November 2020. With 19 coronavirus-related fatalities recorded Thursday, the daily toll has not surpassed 35 registered during the last month.
But the GIMBE Foundation, a health monitoring group that issues weekly reports on the country's coronavirus situation, said Thursday that the weekly death toll for the week ending on Tuesday was 111, up from 76 victims a week earlier and the first time the weekly figure rose after 15 weeks of declines. The Foundation also said there was a 42-percent increase in the total number of active cases in the country, topping 70,000, compared to just over 49,000 a week earlier.
News reports attributed the rise to the continued spread of the high-transmissible Delta variant of the virus, combined with increased social activity in the country highlighted by widespread celebrations following Italy's victory over England in the European football championship on July 11.
Keeping the numbers at least partially in check is the country's vaccine rollout program, which continues to be among the most effective in Europe. As of Thursday, the country had completely vaccinated over 31.6 million people, the equivalent of 58.6 percent of the population aged 12 or older. Enditem
