PM Draghi pledges to speed up jabs, pull Italy clear of COVID crisis

ROME: The Italian government is going to "significantly step up" its vaccination campaign in the coming days to help pull the country out of the coronavirus crisis, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Monday.

In his first major address since taking office last month, the former European Central Bank chief said the situation was deteriorating as new cases rose, but predicted that the end was nonetheless within sight.

"The pandemic is not yet over, but with the acceleration of the vaccine plan, a way out is not far off," Draghi said in a video address to mark international women's day.

Italy is poised to become the seventh country in the world to register more than 100,000 COVID-related deaths and health officials have warned that the country faces a third wave of cases as a more contagious variant of the disease gains ground.

"We are all facing a new worsening of the health emergency these days," Draghi said.

"Our task, and I am referring to all the institutions, is to safeguard the lives of Italians by all means possible and to allow a return to normality as soon as possible. Every life counts," he added.

Since taking charge of the country at the head of a broad government of national unity, Draghi has looked to shake up Italy's vaccination programme and put pressure on pharmaceutical companies to honour contracts and make up supply shortfalls.

"In the vaccination plan, which will be significantly stepped up in the coming days, priority will be given to the most vulnerable people and at-risk groups," Draghi said.

Italy, which has a population of around 60 million, had administered 5.41 doses of vaccines as of early Monday, with 1.65 million people receiving the recommended two shots.

Draghi has suggested that first jabs should take precedence rather than stockpiling supplies for eventual second doses.

In an effort to save shots for those most in need, Italy last week said it would administer just a single dose to people who had been infected with COVID-19 between three and six months beforehand.