Even if the number of new cases of COVID-19 decreased the last few days, the number of patients in a very serious state remains high, acting Prime Minister Aureliu Ciocoi announced in a press briefing in the evening of April 16, after the meeting of the Unified Command Center, IPN reports.

The official said that only 689 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on April 16. About 17,000 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 are under medical supervision, 5,522 of whom are in quarantine, while 3,024 were hospitalized. As many as 282 persons with COVID-19 are in a very serious state, while 57 were put on a ventilator. The number of persons on a ventilator is now higher than a week ago. A number of 28 persons succumbed to COVID-19 yesterday.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection is in the process of purchasing a lot of 100,000 doses of CoronaVac vaccine made in China. Moldova will get 20% of the vaccines needed for the national immunization campaign free of charge from COVAX, while 30% will be bought through the same platform at a convenient producer price. Therefore, Moldova will buy over 2 million available vaccine doses through COVAX.

Aureliu Ciocoi noted that Moldova opened negotiations with the vaccine producer Moderna to consider the possibility of purchasing 1.5 million doses of vaccine. Also, Moldova asked the Russian Direct Investment Fund that has ownership rights over the Sputnik V vaccine to communicate the conditions for an eventual purchase of 700,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine.

By the end of April, Moldova will get a donation of vaccines from the Government of China and will purchase 100,000 doses of CoronaVac vaccine.