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Rome, Nov 9 (IANS) Italy's Covid-19 situation is stable under the current rules despite the ongoing fourth wave of the pandemic, a health official said.
Speaking to local media, Walter Ricciardi, an advisor to Italy's Health Minister, described the framework of anti-virus rules in place as sufficient to shield the country from a peak in the coming months, reports Xinhua news agency.
"The current situation in Italy is much better compared to other countries," Ricciardi told the private all-news TV channel Sky TG24 in an interview.
"This is mainly due to our high vaccination rate and to the green pass rule, which allows people to hang out at indoor places with a certain level of safety," he explained.
His remarks come as several European countries were experiencing a surge in new infections, including Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, and the Netherlands, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
"The fourth wave has started here already, but we can mitigate it if we keep following the preventive rules, go ahead with vaccine boosters, and manage testing and tracing in schools adequately," Ricciardi stressed.
"If so, the fourth wave will remain moderate, and not overwhelming such as those hitting other countries, and we will make it through the winter in acceptable conditions."
Till date, 83.5 per cent of the population aged above 12 -- some 45 million people -- have been fully vaccinated in Italy, according to official data.
Starting from late September, health authorities also began administering booster shots to health workers, people with a fragile immune system, and those over the age of 60, always six months after the second dose.
Health Minister Roberto Speranza announced last week that booster shots would start being offered to people under-60 by December.
Under the current rules, the Covid-19 vaccine is strongly recommended but not mandatory in Italy.
Yet, the green pass -- the certificate showing proof that a person has received at least one vaccine dose, or is fully immunized, or has recovered from the infection, or has tested negative in the last 48 hours -- is now required to anyone in the job market, for accessing cinemas, theatres, restaurants and bars (indoor).
As of Tuesday morning, Italy's overall Covid infection tally and death toll stood at 4,812,594 and 132,423, respectively.
--IANS
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