CHISINAU – The Moldovan healthcare system is barely withstanding the pressure of the coronavirus pandemic, Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu said.
“In Moldova, there is still space in hospitals and intensive care units, but the country’s healthcare system may find itself at its limit in several weeks, and huge problems will arise with taking in new patients with COVID-19,” Chicu said on Facebook on Nov. 20.
Chicu called on his fellow citizens “to pay the maximum amount of attention and show responsibility not only for their health, but also for the people near them.”
The pandemic is accelerating worldwide, including in Moldova, despite the efforts of the World Health Organization and the entire international community, he said.
“The number of patients is increasing, and the pressure on hospitals and doctors is enormous. We now rank 19th in Europe in the number of registered cases and 13th in the number of deaths per one million people. We don’t want and, frankly speaking, we can’t think of measures to restrict economic activity and the free movement of citizens; the arsenal of state instruments for containing the spread of coronavirus is very limited,” Chicu said.
Chicu called on residents of Moldova to observe all hygiene rules in order to counter the pandemic. “I know that it’s hard to breath with a mask, but this means of protection provides an extra chance of staying healthy, staying alive,” he said.
According to earlier reports, the number of cases of COVID-19 registered daily in Moldova has increased sharply over the past month. A grim record of 1,607 new cases registered over a period of 24 hours was recorded on Nov. 18. A total of 1,442 new cases were registered on Nov. 19.
The total number of COVID-19 cases registered in Moldova has reached 93,961, a total of 75,530 patients have recovered, and 2,091 have died.
There is a public healthcare emergency in effect in Moldova and restrictions which require social distancing, the wearing of facemasks, compulsory disinfection, and body temperature checks at public venues. Events with more than 50 people are banned, as well. At the same time, all stores, shopping malls, markets, and restaurants are operating.
