Priority vaccination of teachers begins

New centres open in Bucharest and across the country to provide priority vaccination for teachers.

Daniela Budu, 25.02.2021, 13:50

The campaign to vaccinate teachers began in Romania on
Wednesday. New centres were set up in Bucharest and around the country offering
priority vaccination for teachers. According to official figures, almost 4,000
teachers received the AstraZeneca and Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines on the first
day of this campaign. Appointments for teachers are made differently, with
schools making lists with the staff who wish to get the vaccine and then send
the list to the school inspectorates and then to the health directorates. More than
60,000 teachers will receive the vaccine by 10th March, adding to the
42,000 who have already got it via the official electronic platform and the 128,000
who have already made appointments on this platform.

Meanwhile, the number of pupils and teachers testing
positive for coronavirus has continued to rise. In the first two weeks of the
reopening of schools, 730 classes switched to remote learning because of positive
cases among pupils and staff. More than 800 pupils and almost 640 staff tested
positive for Covid since 8th February, when schools reopened for
in-person learning for most children.

The National Public Health Institute said it noted a countrywide
increase in the incidence rate of new infections over the past two weeks. The data
indicate a cumulated incidence rate of more than 100 cases per 100,000
inhabitants in most counties and the capital Bucharest, with most cases being
reported in urban areas. The institute also noted an increase in the number of
Covid infections in the last six days, to an average of 2,640 cases per day, to
the levels recorded on 20th January. Weekly incidence rates are also
on the rise among the 0-19 and 20-39 age groups.

The National Public Health Institute says it is
considering three possible scenarios: first, a constant daily rise of 1%,
leading to a daily average of 3,300 cases by 20th March; second, a
constant daily rise 2%, leading to a daily average of 4,600 cases by 20th
March; and third, a constant daily rise of 4%, leading to a daily average of
8,900 cases by 20th March. Based on the trend seen in the last seven
days, experts are expecting the second scenario to be the most likely. (CM)