Veryga: It will be proposed to continue the quarantine until mid-December

A. Veryga and Daiva Razmuvienė, an epidemiologist at the National Center for Public Health (NVSC), told the press conference why this happened and what is being done to control the situation on Monday.

The week will be critical

According to the acting minister, scientists predict that we should have reached the peak of coronavirus cases, about 2,200 cases per day, at this time.

“If the quarantine works, maybe we should see some different dynamics at the end of the week, maybe a decrease. This week will apparently be a critical week that will show how the situation is changing. What we are seeing from other countries that have applied the quarantine before, Ireland, Israel, we can still see that the third week was critical, when it was possible to assess how the situation is changing, ”said A. Veryga.

According to the acting minister, scientists predict that we should have reached the peak of coronavirus cases, about 2,200 cases per day, at this time.

“If the quarantine works, maybe we should see some different dynamics by the end of the week, maybe a decrease. This week will apparently be a critical week that will show how the situation is changing.” What we are seeing from other countries that have applied the quarantine before, Ireland, Israel, we can still see that the third week was critical, when it was possible to assess how the situation is changing, “said A. Veryga.

The quarantine will continue

Veryga also said that he would intend to continue the quarantine until at least mid-December.

“The issue of extending the quarantine was also considered. Our proposal was to continue the quarantine until December 31, and after discussions in the COVID-19 Steering Committee, it was decided that the Government would propose on Wednesday that it continue until December 16. and December 17. And then the new government will decide whether to extend it or not, ”said A. Veryga.

“There were no discussions about the change of special quarantine conditions, there were some suggestions to make it easier for the Ministry of Culture to visit museums. But again, it was decided to wait until Wednesday and not yet accept such proposals,” said the acting head of the Ministry of Health (SAM).

According to A. Veryga, the fact that the situation does not improve so suddenly is not an indication that the quarantine was introduced late.

“We have mentioned many times why one or another strategy was chosen, without quarantine, trying to deal with local measures. Unfortunately, it turned out that they did not work, not only in Lithuania, but also in other countries. This week will be critical when we can say what effect the quarantine that was applied had had, ”said A. Veryga.

At the same time, the Minister announced that the purchase of another CureVac vaccine was approved at the COVID-19 management meeting on Monday. Lithuania should receive 1.4 million doses.

Half of the infections and deaths have been in the last two weeks.

D. Razmuvienė noted that half of the 48 thousand. Almost half of the registered cases of coronavirus: 25 thousand. 448 cases have been registered in the last two weeks. Most of the cases have recently been registered in the Vilnius region. Kaunas remains in second place.

One in five patients, according to the epidemiologist, is over 50 years old. About 18 percent. the number of infected people was between 40 and 48 years old. About 16 percent. – 30-39 years.

“The age of the sick is getting younger,” said D. Razmuvienė.

It is observed that during these weeks of quarantine, the main vectors of the disease are people of working age, since they are mobile and travel to shops, meetings.

In the last two weeks, half of the deaths from coronavirus have been registered in Lithuania. In Lithuania a total of 386 deaths were recorded. 200 of them, in the last two weeks.

The highest number of deaths occurs in the age group 80 to 89 years, 54 people died between the ages of 70 and 79 and the remaining deaths were younger.

Most of the deaths, according to the epidemiologist, were infected during treatment, nursing homes and the domestic environment.

There are currently 700 outbreaks

Currently, there are around 700 active outbreaks in Lithuania, according to D. Razmuvienė. 150 of these are family cases.

Compared to September, the number of new coronavirus cases in companies and organizations has decreased significantly, according to the epidemiologist. This was due to working remotely.

A total of 1,629 people were hospitalized in hospitals this morning. The resuscitation and intensive care units treat 126 patients, 73 patients receive artificial pulmonary ventilation and 887 patients with oxygen masks.