Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s office on Saturday announced more goals of the national vaccination program alongside a strict lockdown to curb the new wave of infections.
Fewer than two million people in the country – or 3 per cent of the population – have been fully vaccinated so far, partly because of late deliveries from the pharmaceutical industries, but also because of logistical problems in some regions.
The new vaccination plan, designed by an army general picked by Draghi for his expertise in logistics, envisioned administering up to 500,000 doses a day and also hiring junior doctors and dentists to give the injections in a plethora of facilities, such as military barracks, production sites, schools and gyms.
On Monday, much of the country, including Rome’s region Lazio, will be put under tougher restrictions on movements outside the home.
“We believe that only with widespread vaccinations will we be able to avoid measures like these,” Draghi said.
It comes as hospitals struggle with an increase of intensive care admissions for COVID-19 patients.
Daily new infections have soared above 20,000 in recent days, with more than 26,0000 recorded on Saturday.
Italy is one of the hardest-hit countries in the world: more than 100,000 people have died of COVID-19, and 3.2 million have been infected.
