ROME - With more regions of Italy red than not, and mainland Italy looking a distinct orange/red colour (Sardinia still white), the government have finally addressed the third wave of Covid-19 cases with an almost national lockdown. 

  This current lockdown is set to come to an end after the fully locked-down Easter weekend, and many have expressed hope that the tough restrictions of the next few weeks and the acceleration of the vaccination campaign will bring Italy closer to the light at the end of the tunnel, pandemic-wise.

  However, nearly 2,400 people were fined in 24 hours as Italy was out in the streets on Sunday celebrating the last day of freedom before lockdown - creating much worry that the crowded piazzas will cause another mini spike in cases, similar to the one seen on Valentine’s Day and Carnevale. 

  Sunday saw 21,315 new infections, with tests having a positivity rate of 7.8 per cent, and 264 new deaths.

  After another suspected death linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, that of a 57 year old teacher in Piedmont, Italy health authority head have insisted on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

  Franco Locatelli, President of the National Health Council, has said that he “would not hesitate to vaccinate any of his loved ones.” Giorgio Palù, the head of the Italian Medicines Agency, added that the deaths “are only temporally correlated to the vaccine, no causal link has been found.”

  The immunologist Paolo Bonnani has said that “even if it were true, and it probably isn’t, that the AstraZeneca vaccine causes some rare collateral damage, the cost benefit relationship with anyway be positive, because the alternative is the 264 deaths of yesterday repeated every day.” He continued that “the real risk for public health is the threat to the credibility of the vaccination campaign.”

  Filippo Anelli, head of the association of GPs, has asked for immunity from prosecution for healthcare staff administering the vaccine for fear they might stop doing so in the face of angry families of the deceased.

  On Sunday night, the doors to the headquarters of the National Insitute of Health (ISS) in Rome were set alight with some kind of flammable liquid thrown on them, not long after employees had left. The guard raised the alarm before too much damage was caused and the fire was quickly put out, but not before the flames had enveloped the door and smoke flooded into the atrium. The Carabinieri investigations have so far not ruled anything out, though it is it is believed to be most likely some kind of act of protest.

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