Soon there will be up to 10,000 new Covid-19 cases a day - Cipule

RIGA - In the coming days, up to 9,000-10,000 new Covid-19 infections might be registered a day, said Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) director Liene Cipule in a press conference today.

Cipule reminded that last week, about 5,000-6,000 new Covid-19 infections were reported a day, but in the coming days, this number might grow to 9,000-10,000 a day.

She said that most of these patients will recover at home. Those who need medical attention, first should contact their family physician, but in critical cases they should turn for emergency help.

Even though, the influx of Covid-19 patients in hospitals has not reached the peak, NMPD has noticed that hospitalization of patients in some hospital wards already is facing problems. If the situation deteriorates, decisions on postponing hospitalization of some patients, postponing of scheduled health care services should be made.

Asked whether additional Covid-19 restrictions are necessary, Cipule said that at present the situation in hospitals show that rapid decision are not necessary.

Pauls Stradins University hospital boar chairman Rinalds Mucins told the press that the growing number of patients is a huge challenge for the hospital. At present the hospital is treating more than 100 Covid-19 patients, but the hospital's work is also affected by employees and their children getting ill.

"Speaking about hospital beds, on Monday morning the hospital had 743 beds, including 141 vacant beds, thus, the hospital's occupancy is 81 percent, which is mostly because the hospital does not have scheduled patients at weekends, and they are admitted on Monday. Last week the occupancy was 90 percent," he said.

Health Minister Daniels Pavluts (For Development/For) said in an interview with the Latvian public television this morning that the coalition cooperation council meeting today will discuss further steps in Covid-19 restriction.

He said that the current situation is as expected.

"The situation in hospitals has not changed as significantly as expected. There might be different reasons, one being that a large number of new infections include children and youth, and therefore we do not see this effect on hospitals," he said.

However, there are concerns that when omicron variant reaches people over the age of 60, the situation in hospitals might deteriorate.

The minister plans to propose further step in social distancing, restricting people gathering outside their households.