Covid-19 pandemic in Romania to peak at 10,000-15,000 infected in second half of April

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in Romania is expected to reach the peak in terms of infected persons in the second half of April, health minister Nelu Tataru said on Friday, April 3.

He estimated the size of the peak at 10,000 to 15,000 patients (at the same time), depending on how well the social distancing is observed, local Mediafax reported.

The restrictions on the movement of people will be lifted gradually, depending on the circumstances in each region, a couple of weeks after the peak, he added. This is likely to happen rather toward the end of May, depending on the dynamics of the number of infected and dead people.

However, the estimates of minister Tataru were voiced at a time when the number of infected people was roughly 2,000 - while the figure rose sharply to 3,864 in only two days by Sunday.

By Sunday evening, the number of deaths had reached 151 in Romania. At the same time, the number of patients needing intensive therapy (ATI) was only 141, still significantly below the 2,600 ATI beds in the country out of which 1,200-1,300 have mechanical ventilators attached.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)