In just a few weeks, Italy was taken back to at least three months ago. We should rewind the tape to around May 12 to find Covid-19 daily statistics similar to those reported on August 23, when the country recorded more than 1,200 new infections—the highest daily increase since the end of the lockdown. As we are writing this article, on August 24, the Health Ministry reported 953 new cases, but the country performed only 45,000 tests (21,000 less than the previous day.)

On May 12, the daily count amounted to 1,402 cases. Eight days earlier, the Italian government had decided to start easing the severe lockdown enacted in March, adding family visits to the strict list of circumstances in which Italians were allowed to leave their apartments (emergency, health, urgent work reasons.)