18,863 new infections and 574 deaths were confirmed nationwide, bringing it past 500 deaths in a single day for the first time. In October, an average of one person in Romania died every five minutes from the coronavirus. More than 90 percent of them have not been vaccinated, according to official data.
Romania has the second lowest vaccination rate against COVID-19 in the European Union after Bulgaria. Only 34% of adults are fully vaccinated, while the EU average is 74%. There are now more than 1,800 coronavirus patients in intensive care units, putting an additional strain on the country’s struggling health care system.
“National Drama”
President Klaus Iohannis described the situation as a “national drama of terrible proportions” and urged Romanians to get vaccinated. In a press conference on Tuesday, he said that “the authorities’ failure to take concrete measures is alarming,” and announced a meeting with the government on Wednesday to “introduce clear restrictive measures.”
In response to the catastrophic epidemic in Romania, the World Health Organization announced on Tuesday that it had sent an expert to the country to strengthen the authorities’ response to the epidemic and facilitate the arrival of 34,000 people. COVID-19 rapid diagnostic tests and 200 respirators for coronavirus patients.
The World Health Organization has indicated that the main priority is to increase the vaccination of people at risk, reduce the risks of hospitalization and death, and reduce pressure on the health care system.
Last week, as the Romanian health care system grappled with an influx of COVID-19 patients, dozens of patients were sent to Hungary for intensive care.
To date, more than 1.4 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Romania, and 42,616 patients have died of the disease.
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