Code-red restrictions extend to other counties
More and more counties across the country are switching to code red after the rate of infection has exceeded 3 per thousand inhabitants
Daniela Budu, 21.10.2020, 14:00
Apart from
Bucharest, several towns in Romania have switched to code red after the Group
for Strategic Communication announced an infection rate close to 3 per thousand
inhabitants. Over half of Romania’s counties have already exceeded 1.5
infections per thousand inhabitants. Over 10,000 people are hospitalized across
the country, of which several hundred in intensive care. Every day comes with
new reports of dozens of fatalities, and the total death toll since the start
of the pandemic is close to 6,000. According to a weekly report released by the
Institute of Public Health, last week the number of new cases continued to go
up, although at a slower pace.
Nearly a third of new infections were reported
in Bucharest as well as in Iaşi, Timiş and Dolj counties. One in 32 infections
is a medical staff, while over 95% of people who died to COVID-19 had at least
one other associated illness. Following an assessment of the Health Ministry
and the Department for Emergency Situations, another 100 beds will be made
available in ITUs in Bucharest. Other counties too are taking similar measures
amidst a surge in serious cases of COVID-19. Authorities are also considering
increasing the numbers of doctors and nurses treating infected people.
Health
Minister Nelu Tătaru announced 200 resident doctors and specialists who passed
an exam in intensive care, emergency care, epidemiology, infectious disease,
pulmonology and radiology and who are currently unassigned will be moved to an
emergency hospital in the capital city, pending their appointment to hospitals
reporting shortages of medical personnel. Moreover, the Health Ministry has
decided to transform a number of hospitals in Bucharest into COVID-19 treatment
hospitals. The decision comes as hospitals are finding it increasingly hard to
deal with the large numbers of infections. Minister Nelu Tătaru recently said
that patients who test positive, but also those who exhibit no symptoms of
illness, would be sent home for evaluation and transferred into the care of
family physicians for monitoring.
On the other hand, some hospitals have suspended
all admissions or limited their activity for 14 days in various wards after
several of their employees tested positive for coronavirus. Earlier this week
Bucharest switched to the code red level of restrictions after the rate of
infection reported in the last 14 days exceeded 3 per thousand inhabitants. As
of Monday, face masks are mandatory in all enclosed and open spaces, while restaurants,
coffee shops, cinemas, performance halls and gambling outlets were closed down.
Finally, nursery schools, primary schools and high schools have switched to
online teaching.
(Translated by
V. Palcu)
