Italy should counter the rapid resurgence of COVID-19 by shoring up control measures in public transport and schools, former Italian minister of health Girolamo Sirchia told Sputnik.
On Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree making face masks mandatory in all outdoor public areas and imposing a midnight curfew for restaurants in a bid to counter the resurgence of the virus to Europe's once worst-hit country.
While saluting the new measures as "quite well-balanced," Sirchia said that the national response could be further reinforced by addressing the regulations for public transport and higher grade schooling.
"The problem of transport ... is another very important problem because the trains in the cities are still full. This is another point that must be scrutinized," the ex-minister said.
Pointing out that only universities in Italy have switched to distant learning while schools continued with business as normal, Sirchia said: "Maybe we need to reconsider this, reconsider that the last grades of high schools can also stay at home."
Italy used to be Europe's worst affected country when the coronavirus first appeared on the continent. Following a brief easing of restrictive measures in Italy during the summer, the fall brought a resurgence of cases. On Wednesday, Italian health authorities confirmed 7,332 new cases per day, marking the highest ever daily increase for the country.
As of Thursday, Italy's toll of coronavirus cases reached 372,799, including a death toll of 36,289 people.