GENOA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st March, 2020) Italy has most likely not yet reached its peak of COVID-19 cases and some positive changes in numbers that were noted last week are too small to draw conclusions about the general dynamics, former health minister Girolamo Sirchia told Sputnik in an interview.
Last week, after three days in a row of a decline in new COVID-19 cases, Italy registered a record 969 deaths and 4,401 new cases on Friday. Over the weekend, the numbers declined again. On Sunday, 3,815 new cases and 756 deaths were registered, according to the Civil Protection Department. On Monday, however, the growth was much slower - 1,648 new cases.
"I think that the peak has not yet been reached and that there have been outbreaks one after another. So maybe the peak has been reached in some areas but not in others. The disease is still developing," Sirchia said.
He noted that the situation is changing, and one cannot predict when exactly the peak is going to be reached. Some positive changes in the beginning of last week were insufficient for drawing general conclusions.
"These [changes] are small numbers, they are just fluctuations and variations around the mean, subject to many variables, so it is very difficult to say. One can be wrong making conclusions about an increase or decrease basing on such small numbers in a very short time. I think there have not been yet real changes," Sirchia said.
Meanwhile, Spain has overcome Italy in the daily numbers of new cases and deaths. Earlier on Monday, it reported 6,400 new cases and 812 new deaths.
Italy has been on a nation-wide quarantine for 21 days already. The measures were initially supposed to expire on April 3, but Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Sunday that they would be extended.
Italy's health system is struggling to deal with the emergency. Russia, China, the United States, Cuba, and several European countries have sent doctors to help the country cope with the crisis.
