The fourth wave of COVID-19 has hit Romania hard. The country is confronting its worst wave of infections since the pandemic started nearly two years ago, with 500 deaths a day and more than 10,000 new infections every 24 hours. Romania’s health system is starting to collapse.
Israel is coming to the aid of Romania, offering both human and technical help via the Israeli embassy in Bucharest.
Earlier this week, Israel sent 40 oxygen concentrators to Romania. The delivery of the devices was made possible with help from AFI Europe Romania and Israel’s Elbit Systems.
“Romania is going through a difficult period,” said David Saranga, Israel’s ambassador in Romania. “COVID patients need special medical attention and these oxygen concentrators will help them in the healing process.”
In addition, a medical team from Israel was sent to Bucharest on Sunday to share best practices with physicians in Romania. The team includes three doctors, a chief nurse specializing in COVID-19 and a logistics expert.
The country requested help via the E.U. Civil Protection mechanism. Denmark, Holland, Poland, Italy, Austria, France, Germany and Serbia all stepped up to the plate. Moldova also sent a team of doctors and nurses to work at the hospital in Letcani, in Romania’s northeastern county of Iasi, where COVID patients are treated.
Although cases of infection in Romania seem to have plateaued, the number of patients dying from the disease is still high. On Nov. 2, for example, the death toll reached an all-time record: 591 in 24 hours. The country’s death toll since the start of the pandemic has reached 48,664, authorities reported.
Romania has a population of 19.2 million—about double that of Israel, which also saw new cases of infection skyrocket to 10,000 a day during the height of the fourth wave, although total deaths remained much lower, at 8,109.
This article was first published by Israel21c.
