Specialists of the National Public Health Agency make gloomy forecasts. Even if the number of new COVID-19 cases is now low, after the winter holidays the figures are projected to grow exponentially. According to the health authorities, the number of new cases the 50th week decreased by 25%, while of deaths by 17%, IPN reports.

During December 12-19, there were recorded 2,541 cases of COVID-19, almost 41% (1,045) of which were logged in the Transnistrian region. The number of new cases halved compared with the corresponding period last month.

“We are witnessing the lowest intensity of this wave, but the COVID-19 incidence rate is expected to increase after New Year given the approaching winter holidays. The incidence rate the past seven days was 68 per 100,000 people. The daily average is 363, while the infection rate is 0.85%,” the director of the National Public Health Agency Nicolae Jelamschi told a news conference.

The Transnistrian region is on orange alert, another five territories are on yellow alert, with an incidence of 72 to 94 cases per 100,000 people, while 31 territories are on green alert with fewer than 50 cases. “We have six districts that passed the average incidence rate. These are Ialoveni, Dubasari, Chișinău, Taraclia, Dondușeni, and Ocnița. The incidence rate on the left side of the Nistru is 220 infected persons per 100,000 people,” stated Nicolae Jelamschi.

The number of cases of infection among children decreased by almost 32%, from 393 children the 49th week to 268 children the 50th week. There were recorded eight cases of COVID-19 among pregnant women.