Seven EU member states, namely Bulgaria, Croatia, Malta, the Czech Republic, Romania, Spain, and Hungary, are experiencing an evolution of the COVID-19 epidemic that causes "great concern" and increased mortality risks, the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) warned on Thursday.

According to the latest risk assessment report prepared by this epidemic monitoring agency, this group of seven countries has a "higher percentage of serious cases and hospitalizations," with an increase in mortality "already observed" or "which could happen soon," Agerpres reported.

Concern about the epidemic's evolution in these countries is mainly due to the increased number of cases among the elderly, while other European countries are seeing an increase in cases among young people, who are less likely to suffer complications.

ECDC Director Andrea Ammon said that "much of the current contamination is caused by private meetings, large family meals, or all kinds of meetings with friends or relatives." She did not call for a general closure of shops, restaurants, or bars, but added that such a decision depends on the extent to which the rules of physical distance apply in these places.

On Thursday, Romania reported over 1,600 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.

andrei@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Anyaivanova/Dreamstime.com)