Even if the number of new cases of COVID-19 last week decreased by 10.3% on a week before, the figure is expected to grow among children now that school and lyceum students returned to classrooms, Nicolae Jelamschi, director of the National Public Health Agency, told a news conference.

According to him, some of the children can be carriers of the SARS-CoV-2 virus without having symptoms and this way can pass on the virus to other children in the education institution, IPN reports.

About 7,000 children aged 12 and over have been vaccinated against COVID-19 so far.

Nicolae Jelamschi noted that 134 deaths from COVID-19 were reported last week, an increase of over 11% on a week before.

The number of vaccinated persons decreased slightly. Over 8,300 persons were administered the first doze last week. Also, 5,600 persons got the second dose, while over 23,000 persons received the booster dose.  The vaccination rate in the municipality of Chisinau is the highest, of 44%, while in ATU Gagauzia is the lowest, of 18%.

The official said that in Moldova, the validity period of COVID-19 certificates hasn’t been set. In the EU, the given certificates are valid for nine months since the second dose is administered.