ROME, June 28 (Xinhua) -- All regions of Italy on Monday become the so-called "white zone," with the lowest level of anti-coronavirus rules in the country's four-tiered system.
People are no longer required to wear face masks outdoors except for large gatherings. But masks are still mandatory on public transport, in all public offices and indoor spaces.
Masks are "strongly recommended" in the presence of the vulnerable, such as the elderly, according to the technical-scientific committee advising the government on the coronavirus emergency.
Health Minister Roberto Speranza announced the move on Friday after signing a specific decree allowing all regional authorities to lift restrictions on the base of the positive pandemic trends.
The latest monitoring report from the National Health Institute (ISS) showed a coronavirus incidence lower than 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in all of Italy's 20 regions and autonomous provinces for more than three weeks.
However, health authorities remained watchful of the spread of the coronavirus variants across the country, and especially of Delta and Kappa variants, which accounted for 16.8 percent of all new infections here in June against 4.2 percent in May, according to the latest ISS report.
"A growing number of outbreaks of the virus variants, and especially the Delta variant, are being registered in Italy, and they show a faster transmission rate and/or the ability to partially elude the immune system defence," the ISS stated.
The ISS noted that the circulation of the Delta variant was pushing up cases in other countries where the vaccination campaign has already reached a large portion of the population, and therefore advised on "extensive tracking and sequencing of cases."
Speranza also urged "caution and prudence" in light of the new variants.
Meanwhile, the ISS said pressure on the public health system was low, with an average 4 percent occupancy of beds in intensive care units in all regions.
As of Monday, over 17.7 million people or 32.9 percent of the population in Italy are fully immunized, while 49.8 million vaccine doses have been administered.
Overall, the country has counted over 4.2 million coronavirus cases, including 4 million recoveries, 127,472 fatalities, and more than 57,000 current active infections, with 782 new cases over the last 24 hours.
