With scientists on high alert due to the Omicron variant and hospitals overwhelmed by the rapid increase in cases, hospitalizations, and intubations, the government is taking measures in an effort to stem the rise of the fourth wave of the pandemic ahead of Christmas.
However, the epidemiological picture remains dire yet another day. Today, Wednesday, December 1, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) announced a new «record high» with 690 patients on ventilators, while the number of new hospital admissions continues to rise. At the same time, 75 people lost their lives in a 24-hour period, while 6,196 new cases were identified.
Specifically, EODY announced:
«The number of new laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease recorded in the last 24 hours is 6,196, of which 3 were identified following screenings at the country’s entry points. The total number of cases stands at 945,095 (daily change +0.7%), of which 50.6% are men. Based on confirmed cases over the past 7 days, 94 are considered to be related to travel from abroad, and 2,769 are linked to a previously known case.
The 𝑅𝑡 for the country, based on the number of cases, is estimated at 1.04 (95% TP3T CI: 0.96–1.12).
There have been 75 new deaths among COVID-19 patients, bringing the total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic to 18,234. 95.4% had an underlying medical condition and/or was 70 years of age or older.
The number of patients hospitalized and on a ventilator is 690 (61.0% men). Their median age is 64 years. 79.9% have an underlying medical condition and/or are 70 years of age or older. Among the patients currently hospitalized and on mechanical ventilation, 550 (79.71%) are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, and 140 (20.29%) are fully vaccinated. Since the start of the pandemic, 3,530 patients have been discharged from ICUs.
The number of new COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals nationwide is 507 (daily change: +28,68%). The seven-day average of admissions is 466 patients.
The median age of cases is 38 years (range 0.2 to 106 years), while the median age of deaths is 78 years (range 0.2 to 106 years).»
