Vaccinations to be administered by family doctors
As the number of Covid-19 cases is decreasing, the Romanian authorities are considering easing restrictions.
Mihai Pelin, 18.02.2022, 13:50
While the intensity of the current wave of the pandemic is decreasing, the number of daily cases is still high in Romania. There are currently fewer than 11,000 Covid patients in hospital, the lowest number this month. This downward trend can also be seen in the intensive care wards. The authorities are expecting to start easing restrictions in two- or three-weeks time, provided this positive trend is maintained. The last measure to be lifted will be mask wearing indoors. Under secretary of state Raed Arafat says the relaxation will be done gradually:
“The first measures will probably concern the capacity of the venues where certain activities are held, wearing face masks outdoors, and a few other measures that can be gradually lifted if hospital and intensive care admissions continue to drop, and of course, the total number of cases.”
The coordinator of the mass vaccination campaign Valeriu Gheorghiţă said the epidemiological situation would probably improve in a months time. He said 138 vaccination centres had been closed in the past week around the country, two had been turned into testing centres and seven are now providing both vaccination and testing. Many more vaccination centres will probably be closed because of low demand, and the authorities would like vaccines to be increasingly administered by family doctors, Gheorghiţă explained. As for the unused jabs, Romania will probably donate or resell them, he said:
“If vaccine intake further drops significantly, we will have a surplus of doses, as is the case in all European countries, it doesnt mean these doses will not be used, they will either be donated through the COVACX programme or resold if demand exists.”
The authorities have given assurances that there are sufficient stocks of Covid medicine both in hospitals and in pharmacies. Interest in vaccination remains low. By 16th February, Romania had administered only a little over a half of the 32.4 million vaccine doses it bought, with some 8 million people being fully vaccinated. (CM)
