For the second day running, Romania recorded a new high for Covid-19 patients being treated in intensive care units.
Cases have soared in the past week with 1,339 patients currently receiving treatment in intensive care wards. That was even more than Sunday which was the previous record.
Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu said Sunday it was „highly likely” that the capital would go into lockdown if cases rose above 6 per 1,000 residents. On Sunday, there were 5.3 cases per 1,000, a rate calculated over a 14-day rolling period.
Sixty Covid-19 patients were reported to have died in the past 24 hours including a 26-year-old with underlying health conditions, authorities said in their Monday report. Seven patients who succumbed to the virus didn’t have pre-existent heath conditions, the Strategic Communication Group said.
Over the past week, Romania has been posting the highest number of infections since January, topping 6,000 on several days.
On Monday, authorities reported 3,743 new cases, a relatively low figure which reflected a drop in testing over the weekend. More than one-fourth of people tested had positive outcomes.
Health officials are scrambling to increase the capacity in intensive care units as the numbers of patients who are seriously sick with the virus rises, straining the creaky health system.
Authorities have declared local lockdowns in places where cases have sharply risen. Prime Minister Florin Citu has insisted that there won’t be a nationwide lockdown.
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Romania has recorded more than 900,000 infections and 22,68 deaths.
