Covid-19 Update: Romania Facing Political and Covid-19 Crises Simultaneously

The Covid-19 cases have been surging in Romania, and just in the last 24 hours, 16,110 new Covid-19 cases have been detected. Yesterday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced 17.158 new cases, and the situation is becoming more and more dramatic. Romania doctors warn the hospital system is overwhelmed, and there are no free beds at the ICU. Recent statistics inform that there have been more than 1.519.532 Covid-19 infections in Romania so far and around 2.86% of this total have died due to the new coronavirus (around 43.487 people). 

 

Why has the situation become so dramatic?

 

Back in August, the number of daily new infections was less than 1000 people. However, the skepticism and anti-vax false information combined with a deficient vaccination campaign and bad political decisions have allowed the SARS-CoV-2 virus to take over the country. On October 19, the Eastern European country declared 18,800 new Covid-19 infections and 574 dead people.

 

 There are four Covid-19 vaccines available: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, and Astra Zeneca. There are mobile vaccination centers, drive-thru vaccination centers, and even some in the malls. Moreover, Romania people can choose which COvid-19 vaccine they want to get vaccinated with. There were many countries where people could not choose which Covid-19 vaccine they got, unless for medical reasons. Even so, only 29.58% of Romanians and residents have decided to get vaccinated so far. 

 

The ECDC statistics show that the European vaccination rate is 74.7%

 

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) informs that the Covid-19 vaccination average in Europe is around 74.7%. Many European countries such as Italy, Denmark, and more have more than 86% of their residents vaccinated against the new coronavirus. At the opposite pole, Romania and Bulgaria have the lowest vaccination rates. It is clear that the two countries need to speed up their vaccination campaigns. 

 

The political crisis in Romania could be over soon, but unfortunately, this was one of the worst moments for it to take place. Romania people need to be guided by capable leaders, and the Government needs to do a better job and earn people’s trust. The vaccination campaign could have been more ‘aggressive,’ and more restrictions could have been imposed in order to convince people they need to get vaccinated for health and moral reasons.