There are many unknowns about the post-holiday recovery: the 'red zone' risk for various regions is not a remote possibility. There is a slow decrease in the contagion curve, but with the Rt increasing together with the positivity rate still growing. With this situation a part of the country, at the end of the Christmas decree, on January 6, it could end up in the red or orange zone again.
To risk for now are above all Veneto, Liguria and Calabria, which according to the latest ISS report exceeded the Rt value of 1. These regions could be placed in the list of territories subject to greater restrictions. Very close to the threshold of the red zone they are also Puglia, Basilicata and Lombardy. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health makes it known that the new positive cases of today are 11.831 (yesterday 22.211), while the new deaths are 364 (yesterday 462). The discharged healed are 9.166 (yesterday 16.877); altogether the positive cases are 577.062, practically 2295 more than yesterday.
The resumption of activities after the Christmas holidays
It is currently expected that, after the decree, the Regions will return to the color band assigned before the Christmas lockdown, that is, all yellow (except for the orange Abruzzo). However, the trend of the contagion does not take it for granted that things will go this way. The government will decide on what to do next week, following the checks carried out by the experts on the new report of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. While waiting for the next report to dissolve any doubts, the president of the Higher Institute of Health, Silvio Brusaferro, calls for caution, explaining that "a true assessment of the trend of infections, relating to the holiday period, we can only have it in mid-January ".
And, again, the president of the Superior Health Council, Franco Locatelli, adds: "In the face of numbers that still deserve an effort, we give the strong message that what has been put in place is bearing fruit". Furthermore, it must be said that something could also change on the evaluation parameters. In fact, after a request from the Regions, the ISS could formalize some changes that could affect the 21 indicators. Twenty-one reference parameters used to establish the allocation of regions in the various bands.
Resumption of teaching in the presence
Regarding the resumption of face-to-face lessons, schools should reopen everywhere with 50 percent attendance as the maximum allowed. Percentage that should be valid at least until January 15, after the work done by the various prefectures in the school-transport coordination tables. An announcement to this effect was made by all the ministers responsible for various reasons: Interior, Education and Transport. The stadiums will still be closed, but there is some glimmer for the resumption of skiing in the second half of January, after the Regions' request for a reopening of the lifts from the 18th of the month, exclusively in the yellow areas.
Smart working, winter sales and the inevitable curfew
The appeal to the smart working in most companies and particularly in state offices. This, after the extension scheduled until January 31st on the measures for agile work in the public administration. The winter sales will also start in no particular order, throughout the next month of January.
However, in certain cases, they may still change in consideration of any red areas. The curfew remains fixed at 22 pm; in the yellow areas only, restaurants and bars will be able to service the tables until 18pm. Swimming pools, gyms, cinemas and theaters will be closed for now. On the other hand, exhibitions and museums with limited admissions could reopen.
