diff --git a/notebooks/covid-19-italy.ipynb b/notebooks/covid-19-italy.ipynb
index acc41431df77eebf112f7d503c2a1ba31efee83c..3be3bd78a67e9f7a55649b20e504c3c920818b0a 100644
--- a/notebooks/covid-19-italy.ipynb
+++ b/notebooks/covid-19-italy.ipynb
@@ -157,8 +157,10 @@
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# Total cases and deaths per 100k population\n",
+    "from datetime import datetime\n",
+    "start_date = datetime.fromisoformat('2020-08-01')\n",
     "\n",
-    "base = alt.Chart(df_regions).encode(alt.X('date'))\n",
+    "base = alt.Chart(df_regions.loc[(df_regions.date > start_date)]).encode(alt.X('date'))\n",
     "death = base.mark_line(color='black').encode(alt.Y('deceased', title='Deaths'))\n",
     "total = base.mark_bar(color='orange', size=5).encode(alt.Y('positive', title=\"Total cases\")).properties(\n",
     "    width=150,\n",
@@ -184,7 +186,7 @@
    "source": [
     "# Total cases and deaths per 100k population\n",
     "\n",
-    "base = alt.Chart(df_regions).encode(alt.X('date'))\n",
+    "base = alt.Chart(df_regions.loc[(df_regions.date > start_date)]).encode(alt.X('date'))\n",
     "death = base.mark_line(color='black').encode(alt.Y('deceased_100k', title='Deaths'))\n",
     "total = base.mark_bar(color='orange', size=5).encode(alt.Y('positive_100k', title=\"Total cases\")).properties(\n",
     "    width=150,\n",
@@ -208,7 +210,7 @@
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
     "# compute daily differences\n",
-    "tdf = df_regions.sort_values(['region_label', 'date'], ascending=[True, False]).set_index(['region_label', 'date'])\n",
+    "tdf = df_regions.loc[(df_regions.date > start_date)].sort_values(['region_label', 'date'], ascending=[True, False]).set_index(['region_label', 'date'])\n",
     "diffs_df = tdf[['positive', 'deceased']].groupby(level='region_label').diff(periods=-1).dropna(how='all')\n",
     "tdf_diff=tdf.join(diffs_df, rsuffix='_diff').reset_index()\n"
    ]