ROME - The Ministry of Health, ISS (Higher Institute of Health) and regional councils have this week come to an agreement about the measures to be put in place in the case of a region becoming a white zone, the lowest risk category.

  Health Minister Roberto Speranza said he was “satisfied with the understanding” they reached, and that “there is an awareness that we still need prudence and a gradual approach.

  From Monday, Sardinia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Molise will move into a white zone, with Abruzzo, Umbria, Veneto and Liguria looking likely to join them from next week.

  In white zones “the so called curfew will be extended and we can anticipate the resumption of economic and social activity for which the current legislation provides a later date of reopening.”

  Wednesday saw 3,935 new cases and 121 new deaths - rapidly reducing data which is currently suggesting that by mid June half of Italy could be a white zone.

  With Italy pushing to open up the country for summer tourism - a huge national earner that was badly diminished last summer - the government is looking for more ways to speed up vaccinations, with eight million more doses expected to be delivered by the end of the month, and encourage tourism.

  The idea of vaccinating people while on holiday has been suggested and the Italian anti-covid commission, led by General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, are discussing how to organise it. At the moment it is possible to get vaccinated in another region if you can prove you are there for work reasons and inform the local health authority, and the government is now proposing shots for holidaymakers who can prove they are staying in another region for at least three weeks.

  The regional council of Lombardy have announced plans to slow down the administration of second doses during August to allow for more doses for holidaymakers. 

  This plan to allow people to travel for vaccinations has the support of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announcement this week that it is safe to receive different vaccines for your first and second dose, with some studies even suggesting it is in fact more effective if the two doses are different.

  The Italian tourism industry will also no doubt be glad to know that a Norwegian study conducted recently has confirmed that Covid-19 cannot last more than 20-30 seconds in a swimming pool, with chlorine being a very effective virus killer.

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