“We will not have a new lockdown,” Speranza told Italian daily La Stampa.
“I am optimistic, although prudent.
“Our national health service has become much stronger.”
Italy, one of Europe’s worst-hit countries with more than 35,000 deaths, on Saturday reported 1071 new coronavirus cases, exceeding 1000 cases in a day for the first time since the government eased its nationwide lockdown in May.
But the number of new infections remains lower than those registered in Spain and France, and so far they have not been accompanied by renewed high death tolls.
Speranza said the current situation cannot be compared to February and March, when the disease was spreading out of control and it was difficult to track and isolate infected people.
He added that Italy has doubled the number of beds in intensive care since March and is better prepared for an outbreak than it was in the beginning.
In a separate interview with Il Corriere della Sera, Health Undersecretary Sandra Zampa said she was convinced Italy would not impose a nationwide lockdown.
“We have now seen that no country can afford to close everything altogether,” Zampa said.
“The absence of bans gives citizens even greater responsibility.”
But she did not rule out restrictions on towns or areas where there are spikes in infection numbers.
“This is probable, but not the blockade of entire regions,” she said.
“It is different to circumscribe an outbreak or restricted area.”
According to health experts, 60 per cent of the new cases are linked to holidaymakers returning home from other European countries.
The Italian government has taken several steps to curb the spread of the virus, such as closing nightclubs since August 17, making face masks compulsory in busy public spaces between 6:00 pm and 6:00 am, and testing travellers upon their return to Italy from certain “high risk” countries.
