(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 15 - The risk of the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy becoming "uncontrolled" has increased and the general situation is deteriorating, according to a draft of the weekly coronavirus monitoring report of the health ministry and the Higher Health Institute (ISS). It said the virus Rt reproduction number has been increasing for five weeks and is now up to 1.09. Lombardy and the autonomous province of Bolzano have the highest Rt rates, 1,25, and the number is over 1 in nine regions. Veneto has the highest incidence, with 365.61 COVID cases per every 100,000 inhabitants. The draft of the report said that the percentage of intensive-care beds occupied by COVID-19 patients was above the critical threshold of 30%. It said the high level of contagion made it impossible to track and trace cases. The report said virus-mitigation measures should be maintained to prevent the risk of a new upswing in cases. (ANSA).
