A stagnation with a slight decrease in the number of new cases of COVID-19 was registered in a number of states of the region. But the figure later rose again and it happened so in Moldova too. The head of the National Public Health Agency Nicolae Furtună said this is due to the fact that the people do not understand what relaxation of anti-epidemic measures is as this implies accommodation to COVID-19 by obeying protection measures. This thing was ignored, IPN reports.

The number of infections with the novel coronavirus in Moldova last week rose by 20% on a week before, while the number of deaths by 2%. The incidence per 1 million people is of 3,086 cases. Nicolae Furtună said this indicator is high, but is not the highest in the world and in the region. The death rate is of 107 cases per 1 million people. The case fatality rate is of 3.5%, comparable with that in the Czech Republic and Estonia.

The number of cases in administrative territories where few cases were recorded earlier, such as Taraclia, ATU Gagauzia and Drochia, went up during the last seven days.

As many as 99 pregnant women and 628 children contracted the virus so far. The playgrounds are an infection risk area for children.

The people are exposed to the highest risks of infection in parks, shopping centers, markets, public transport and churches. Ten priests became infected by now and one of them died. “Yesterday and the day before yesterday, we felt the days when many people bought presents for the Sunday of the Dead,” stated Nicolae Furtună, commenting on the larger number of infections the last few days.

Svetlana Lupu, head of the Ministry of Health’s Hospital Medical Assistance Policies Division, said the number of beds in hospitals intended for persons with COVID-19 is flexible as the cured persons are discharged, someone dies and others come instead. The epidemiological situation in some of the regions leads to the overloading of the system and entails the opening of new areas or the transportation of patients to other institutions where there are available places. The situation is tenser in the southern region and in Chisinau.

Minister of Health, Labor and Social Protection Viorica Dumbrăveanu said they will decide whether to open new hospitals for treating COVID-19 or to readjust sections depending on the epidemiological situation.

The cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Moldova so far total over 10,700. As many as 382 persons succumbed to the disease. Over 4,000 are active cases.