State of alert in Romania extended
The Romanian government extends the state of alert and takes further measures to limit the effects of the 5th wave of the pandemic.
Daniela Budu, 07.01.2022, 13:54
In the context of the rapid spread of the Omicron strain of the novel coronavirus, which is transmitted much more easily, wearing a protective mask becomes mandatory again, as of Saturday, in all enclosed and open spaces in Romania, as the state of alert has been extended by the Government. Furthermore, the use of textile or plastic masks is no longer permitted due to their very low efficiency. Doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă drew attention to the wrong way in which people often wear the protective mask, without adequately covering the nose and mouth.
Valeriu Gheorghiţă: “Besides this recommendation to use a medical mask, I would suggest that people should use the mask correctly, because good masks are useless if people do not use them correctly. The three-layer surgical masks should be replaced every four hours. FFP2 masks can be worn for a longer period because they have a much more rigorous filtration”.
Besides the obligation to wear a protective mask, there will be restrictions for the activity of restaurants, for shows and sporting events, depending on the Covid-19 incidence rate in each locality. Shops and restaurants will be open until 10 p.m. Meanwhile, in the run up to the 5th wave of the pandemic, the authorities are deciding where to set up Covid outpatient assessment and treatment centers, a measure aimed at reducing the risk of hospital overcrowding, as happened in autumn. According to Dr. Beatrice Mahler, the manager of the Marius Nasta Institute in Bucharest, these centers will be very helpful not only for hospitals, but also for patients who will be healed faster.
Beatrice Mahler: “At the moment, we are approaching the 5th wave from the perspective of a therapy that can be administered from the first days of illness. It is important that the patients who are at risk of developing a severe form, those over 65 or patients with a chronic disease in treatment, have a place to go to from the very first symptoms of the disease. Of course, we should not rule out the presence of patients who are symptomatic and have a suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 infection. They can also go to these centers to get a diagnosis.”
The authorities are strongly recommending vaccination, as it significantly reduces the risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19 and the risk of death. According to experts, the vaccinated people who have also had the booster dose or those who have had the disease are the most protected categories in the run up to the new wave of the pandemic. However, Romanians are not eager to get vaccinated, even if the number of infections is more than four times higher than a week ago, the number of vaccines administered daily being quite small, about several thousand. However, those who have already been fully vaccinated find it easier to decide on having the booster dose. (LS)
