The spread of the coronavirus is not slowing down in Romania, as a new record number of daily infections was registered from Tuesday to Wednesday: 1,767 new infections and 47 deaths related to COVID-19 were reported in Romania in the previous 24 hours, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS) announced on Wednesday. The last record was on September 16, when 1,713 new cases were reported.
From Wednesday to Thursday, another 1,639 new infections were reported, bringing Romania’s total number of coronavirus cases to 118,054. Out of this figure, 94,877 people have been declared fully cured, while 4,591 died due to the pandemic. According to GCS, 2,302,828 tests have been processed nationwide in Romania, out of which 24,278 were performed in the last 24 hours – 15,314 based on the demands of medical protocol and 8,964 upon request.
More than 300 educational institutions are now following the red scenario in Romania, meaning that in these institutions, classes are held exclusively online. The number of schools adopting this scenario grew by 40 in two weeks. Another 4,406 schools are following the yellow or hybrid educational format, and there are currently 12,948 schools, where students are physically attending classes under the green scenario, the Ministry of Education announced on Thursday, based on the information of county school inspectorates.
The Ministry stressed that it is up to the management of each school to choose the applicable scenario and modify it depending on the development of the epidemic in its area as well as on the infrastructure and available resources of the school. According to a joint decree of the Ministry of Education and Health, the main epidemiological fact to consider when selecting a scenario is the total number of new infections recorded in the given settlement in the previous 14 days per 1,000 inhabitants.
Meanwhile, traffic along the Romanian border is not declining: Approximately 71,300 Romanian citizens and foreigners in 30,500 vehicles have passed the border in the last 24 hours, the Romanian Border Police announced on Thursday.
According to the police, 35,400 people have entered the country in 15,200 cars, and 35,900 have left in 15,300 vehicles. At the border between Hungary and Romania, 25,800 people were registered, 12,200 of them entering Romania.
As the border police reported, 139 foreign citizens were not admitted to the country because they did not meet the conditions required by law. In the last 24 hours, 45 illegal acts (17 crimes and 28 violations) were reported at border-crossing points; RON 160,200 (almost EUR 33,000) worth of goods has been seized, and fines of RON 22,600 (EUR 4600) have been imposed.
A new epidemiological screening department and an emergency department was opened in the hospital in Sepsiszentgyörgy/Sfântu Gheorghe on Wednesday, following an expansion of the hospital with a 200-square-meter modular building. Róbert András Nagy, the director of the Dr. Kristóf Fogolyán County Emergency Hospital, said the expansion was needed because of the coronavirus epidemic.
The new emergency department, built in the yard near the entrance, consists of three parts for screening patients. Patients with positive COVID-19 tests are placed in a separate space, while people suspected of being infected are treated in another place. After the screening, those with complaints not related to the coronavirus may enter the emergency department reserved for non-coronavirus patients via a separate route.
In addition to the new emergency department, laboratory samples for PCR testing of patients suspected of being infected will be taken in a smaller building. The samples are then analyzed in the hospital’s own laboratory, which is capable of processing 100 samples per day.
Róbert András Nagy said that as of Wednesday, all patients who come to the hospital for emergency care will be registered and placed in the modular emergency building. In this way, the institution will be able to treat the patients separately. According to the hospital director, the new 200-square-meter emergency building was built through a municipal and civil partnership.
Title image: As many as 1,767 new infections were reported on Wednesday. Photo: Getty Images
