Code-red restrictions extend to other counties

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)