MS requests postponement of relaxation measures in Bucharest, due to cases of infection with new SARS-CoV-2 variant

Two other cases of infection with the increased transmissibility SARS-CoV-2 variant were sequenced at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases "Matei Bals", informed the Ministry of Health, specifying that it recommended, on Friday, to the Bucharest City Emergency Management Committee (CMBSU) to postpone the decisions to relax the restrictions. According to the cited source, both cases are from Bucharest, neither of the two people having traveled abroad. "Patients are in good general condition, are isolated at home and are supervised by the family doctor according to the methodology in force. Currently, other sequencing tests are being processed in the "Matei Bals" INBI laboratory, with the results being expected. (...) Considering the emergence of the new variant in Bucharest, the Ministry of Health recommended today to the Bucharest City Emergency Management Committee (CMBSU) the postponement of the relaxation decisions," states the same source. The Ministry of Health recommends that the population request testing for COVID-19 at the first symptoms of the disease. "Given the greater infectiousness of this variant, in parallel with the National Vaccination Campaign, the protection measures remain equally important: the correct wearing of the protective mask, the avoidance of crowded areas, the social distancing and the hygiene of the hands," underlines the Ministry of Health.AGERPRES(RO - author: Roberto Stan, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Simona Iacob, editor: Maria Voican)