Seven million Romanians fully vaccinated
Over 7 million Romanians have been vaccinated against SARS CoV-2.
Leyla Cheamil, 18.11.2021, 14:00
Romania has exceeded the threshold of seven million people fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, which represents about 37% of the countrys population. The announcement was made by the National Committee for COVID 19 Vaccination Coordination, in the context in which doctors keep saying that vaccination must remain the most important method of preventing infection. Health experts say that physical distancing and preventive measures should continue, given that the Western countries, where the immunization rate is much higher, are once again facing an increase in the number of infections.
Although, in Romania, the incidence of new COVID-19 infections is decreasing, the number of COVID-19- associated deaths and that of patients in serious condition remains high. The manager of the University Emergency Hospital in Bucharest, Professor Cătălin Cârstoiu, PhD, says that, although the number of new cases of infection has apparently decreased, there is still pressure on the big hospitals.
Professor Cătălin Cârstoiu: “In the big, emergency hospitals, such as the University Hospital, a tense situation will persist, so to speak, for the next few weeks, because you understand and we all understand that, generally, patients with moderate forms of the diseases reach the intensive care units or the big hospitals, so even if the number of cases in emergency units seems to be on a downward trend, things remain complicated: there are 30-40 inpatients, every day, from one day to another, in the ER. There are 350 hospitalized patients, not 450. This is the first time that the number of hospitalized patients testing negative for COVID-19 is higher than the number of patients testing positive for the virus, after almost two and a half months.”
The National Committee for Vaccination Coordination estimates that, by the end of the month, the logistical preparations for the COVID vaccination of children aged between 5 and 11 will be completed. Vaccination for this age group might start in December or, in a less likely scenario, in January next year. Children up to the age of 11 can be vaccinated in centers where the Pfizer BioNTtech vaccine is available as well as in the family doctors offices. The dedicated platform will be modified so that one adult can schedule one child.
On the other hand, the problem of fictitious vaccinations makes the situation more difficult. Two nurses accused of taking money for issuing false COVID vaccination certificates at a center in Petea Border-Crossing Point were taken into temporary custody for 30 days. The same decision was made for two registrars at the vaccination center. According to prosecutors, one of the nurses and the two registrars allegedly asked and received repeatedly between 250 and 300 Euros from those who wanted to obtain vaccination certificates and the European digital COVID certificate without being vaccinated. The other nurse allegedly acted as a go-between. (LS)
