Romania's COVID-19 daily case count rises by 1,636; tests performed in last 24 hours: over 32,000

As many as 1,636 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Romania were recorded in the last 24 hours following over 32,000 tests nationwide, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS), the official novel coronavirus communication task force, reported on Wednesday. These are cases of patients that have not previously tested positive. As of Friday, 1,055,265 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania. Of these, 983,393 were declared cured. To date, 7,365,132 RT-PCR tests and 892,355 rapid antigen tests have been processed nationwide. In the last 24 hours, 23,385 RT-PCR tests were performed (10,011 based on the case definition and medical protocol and 13,374 on request) and 8,606 rapid antigen tests. Aside from the newly confirmed cases, following the retesting of patients who were already positive, 358 people were reconfirmed positive.   *** A number of 138 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have died in the last 24 hours, according to data transmitted on Friday by the Strategic Communication Group (GCS). According to the GCS, the deceased are 66 men and 72 women. According to the GCS, 129 of the registered deaths were of patients who had comorbidities, three patients did not present comorbidities, and no comorbidities were reported up to now for six patients. Since the beginning of the pandemic and until now, 28,109 people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania. At the same time, 190 Romanian citizens abroad died due to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. Worldwide, 3,117,542 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have died.   *** As many as 8,245 people with COVID-19 are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities, out of whom 1,284 in intensive care, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS), the official novel coronavirus communication task force, reported on Friday. In Romania, 29,962 people confirmed with the novel coronavirus are in isolation at home and 8,513 are in institutional isolation. Also, 44,547 people are in quarantine at home and 102 in institutional quarantine. In the last 24 hours, 1,782 calls were reported to the 112 emergency line and 677 to the 0800 800 358 toll-free COVID-19 info line.   *** Only Bucharest exits the red zone, with 2.98 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections per thousand inhabitants, decreasing compared to the previous day, when the incidence was 3.09, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS) announced on Friday. A number of 18 counties are in the yellow zone (incidence between 1.5 and 3), the highest infection rates being in Ilfov - 2.67, Cluj - 2.66, Bihor - 2.14, Alba - 2.13 and Covasna - 2.10. Also, 24 counties are in the green area (less than 1.5 cases per thousand inhabitants), the lowest rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection being registered in Suceava - 0.42, Gorj - 0.44, Maramures - 0.48. According to the GCS, the areas with the most newly confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the last report are Bucharest - 363 and Prahova counties - 83, Cluj - 80, Brasov - 68, and Mures - 53. The fewest new cases were registered in the counties of Ialomita - 4, Gorj - 6, Satu Mare - 8, Giurgiu - 9 and Vaslui - 11. In the last 24 hours, 1,636 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infected people have been reported. AGERPRES (RO - author: Mihai Stoica, editor: Antonia Nita; EN - editor: Razvan-Adrian Pandea)