The number of new coronavirus cases and related deaths continued to fall in Romania on Friday, although infections remained high in the capital and a county next to Bucharest.
Two areas in the western Transylvanian region where the cities of Timisoara and Cluj are located also had a high concentration of cases, as infection rates dropped nationwide even with higher levels of testing.
Romania reported more than 4,800 new Covid-19 cases on Friday and 96 deaths. The fall in cases came after authorities enforced tighter restrictions to limit the spread of the virus.
The Strategic Communication Group said some 31,600 tests were carried out giving a positivity rate of 12.29%, which is the the lowest it’s been since Oct. 23.
Bucharest has a relatively 3.66 cases per 1,000 in the past fortnight, less than half it had at its peak and Ilfov, just north of the capital where many commuters live had 4.14 cases per 1,000.
The southwest county of Timis had 3.59 cases per 1,000 and the Transylvanian county of Cluj had 3.38.
Bucharest posted 869 cases and Ilfov added 290 cases. Cluj county had 289 new cases and Timis had 308 cases.
There were 1,100 Covid-19 patients being treated in intensive care units and more than 8,700 hospital beds occupied by SARS-CoV-2 patients.
Some 60 men and 26 Covid-19 patients succumbed to the virus in the past 24 hours.
Five were in their 40s, nine in their 50s, and 32 were older than 80. Only seven of them didn’t have pre-existent health conditions such as cancer or diabetes.
Romania has begun to vaccinate healthcare professionals. On Wednesday evening authorities said 60,000 people had been inoculated.
