Moldova in August and in September will receive a donation of 30,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Latvia and another 25,500 vaccine doses from Lithuania. The necessary documents were already signed, secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection Denis Cernelea stated in a news conference, being quoted by IPN.

He noted that this week the Ministry is to also receive 7,020 Pfizer vaccine doses from the lot purchased by the Ministry of Health.

Over 1,051,000 vaccine doses have been administered in Moldova so far. More than 616,000 persons (over 18%) have been vaccinated with the first dose, while over 500,000 persons with the second dose. Until now Moldova received 1,530,000 vaccine doses.

The COVID-19 incidence for the past 14 days is of 46 cases per 100,000 people, as opposed to 28 cases two weeks ago. The number of cases last week grew by 36% to 925 (303 cases on the left side of the Nistru), as opposed to 628 cases a week before. Of these, 63 cases were imported. This is also due to the trips made by persons who vacation to different regions with an increased epidemiological risk, stated Denis Cernelea.

The secretary of state noted the number of COVID-19 cases is expected to rise in the immediate period. Therefore, increased vigilance measures are needed, primarily when crossing the border to enter Moldova.

The laboratories in Soroca and Comrat will soon start to do PCR tests. The labs in Edineț and Căușeni will do this from the fourth quarter of this year. The testing capacity will increase considerably as a result.

Over 250 patients with COVID-19 are now in hospitals and 58 of them are in intensive care. Over 800 persons receive treatment at home.

In another development, epidemiologist Veaceslav Guțu said the laboratory of the National Public Health Agency is to receive equipment that will enable it to detect the Delta variant. The testing is to start at the end of August or the start of September.