The rate of new COVID-19 infections in the last 14 days passed the threshold of three per 1,000 inhabitants in 255 localities in Romania, which means they entered the “red scenario,” according to Raed Arafat, the head of Romania’s Emergency Services Department. 

The list includes 22 municipalities and 15 cities, among them Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Alba Iulia, Bacau, Resita, Sfantu Gheorghe, Craiova, Miercurea Ciuc, Targu Mures, Zalau, Alexandria, and Ramnicu Valcea, Arafat told local news station Digi24.

The “red scenario” comes with new restrictions, such as making masks mandatory in all indoor and outdoor public venues, the closing of restaurants, cafes, theaters and cinemas, and the closing of schools and switching all students to online learning.

Meanwhile, 615 localities have an incidence rate between 1.5 and 3 per thousand inhabitants, among them 44 municipalities and 50 cities.

Raed Arafat stressed that an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections means more patients in intensive care units and increased pressure on hospitals and the health system.

“We hope that the measures that have been taken recently, if observed, will stop this growth, […] but this means that for a while we will have a pressure on the health system because 3,000 - 4,000+ cases a day means a significant number of cases in intensive care units,” Arafat said.

In related news, the Health Ministry announced on Tuesday, October 20, that it decided to increase the hospitals’ capacity to treat patients infected with the new coronavirus. Thus, the intensive care units of hospitals in Bucharest will get 100 more beds for COVID-19 patients. 

The authorities also plan to increase the number of healthcare workers in the first line of the fight against COVID-19. 

Romania reported 3,400 daily COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, October 20, bringing the total to 186,254 cases. Bucharest recorded the most cases – 545, and an infection rate of 3.23.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)