The number of new cases of COVID-19 decreased constantly during the last nine days to the level recorded at the start of October. However, the number of persons who need intensive therapy remains high. The daily average is 277 persons, 40 of whom need invasive ventilation, secretary of state at the Ministry of Health Svetlana Nicolaescu told a news conference, being quoted by IPN.
According to statistics of the Ministry of Health, 9,765 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded last week. Out of these, 3,115 were reported in the Transnistrian region, while 2,622 in the municipality of Chisinau. The number of new cases declined by 15% on a week before.
A number of 3,561 beds intended for patients with COVID-19 were provided and 354 of them are in intensive care units.
The death toll from COVID-19 rose by 293. Over 95% of the victims were unvaccinated.
In five administrative units, the incidence rate last week was higher than the red alert level. These are: Bălți, Chisinau, Dondușeni, Basarabeasca, Anenii Noi and the Transnistrian region, with the latter reporting the highest incidence rate, with 665 new cases per 100,000 people the last seven days.
As to the vaccination campaign, Svetlana Nicolaescu said 25% of the general population completed the vaccine series. “We are yet far from reaching the target of at least 70% by which collective immunity can be ensured,” said the secretary of state. As many as 33,664 persons were immunized last week, an increase of 15% compared with a week before. In Chisinau, 38% of the population was vaccinated.
The Ministry of Health modified the protocol and the measures applying to persons who had been in contact with a person with COVID-19. Now any person with a completed vaccine series who had been in contract with a person with COVID-19 is not placed in quarantine, except for those who form part of the same household.
Svetlana Nicolaescu noted there is a batch of vaccine doses that expired on October 31. They will be destroyed. The loss rate until now was lower than 10%. Those doses cannot be used. There are enough valid vaccine doses
As to vaccination with the third dose, the official said the process will start when specialists make the schemes available, but the booster shot can be anyway received in six months of the administration of the second dose.
