Mattarella said new phase should be met with "sense of responsibility but also with greater faith." 

Italy's president Sergio Mattarella has called for collective responsibility amid a recent surge of covid-19 cases, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

"A new phase of emergency appears to be approaching and that requires faith in the possibility that the country can overcome it," the president said.

The president said that each professional sector must avoid resisting restrictions and defending its own interests, stating that the general wellbeing of all should prevail, ANSA reports.

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Underlining the need for responsibility in relation to "behaviour, face masks, and distancing," Mattarella urged people to avoid unnecessary social contacts.

Mattarella was speaking this morning at an award ceremony honouring those who distinguished themselves in Italy's battle against covid-19.