Hospitals warn that the number of Covid-19 patients is increasing so fast that in a few days all beds will be filled. The main hospital in Lithuania, Vilnius University Hospital, has stated that
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the situation has become critical and the number of available beds for Covid-19 patients is only a matter of days.
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It has called on other hospitals to vacate facilities to relocate patients, but bureaucratic hurdles have hampered smoother collaboration.
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Aušra Bilotiene – Motiejūniene, Managing Director of Vilnius University Hospital, says: “The number of patients is increasing every day. The situation is critical. We have already exceeded the critical 70% bed occupancy threshold. We have already reached 80% bed occupancy.”
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In addition, there are problems with the capacity of medical staff. “Doctors are also falling ill, so the number of doctors available is declining,
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but so far we have been able to provide treatment for these patients, “says Narimants Markevics, director of Vilnius City Clinical Hospital.
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In total, 348 Covid-19 patients were hospitalized in Lithuanian hospitals – twice as many as in Latvia. Of these, 36 people are in intensive care.
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“We are really in a very difficult situation,” said Lithuanian Health Minister Aurelijs Verīga,
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“There can no longer be any doubt that we have an exponential increase in the number of cases, similar to the European Union.”
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The virus spread scenarios modeled by two leading Lithuanian universities show that the number of new infections is growing at a rate almost as fast as in the Czech Republic, where the last two weeks have seen the fastest spread of Covid-19 in the European Union.
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In the case of a pessimistic scenario,
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in order to prevent the collapse of the health system, the introduction of a strict quarantine regime in Lithuania by next week is inevitable,
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Ramūne Kaldiene, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, explains: and 7%. “
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As reported, in Lithuania from Wednesday quarantine announced in the three largest cities of the country – Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda, as well as in Vilnius, Širvintos, Šilale, Trakai and Telšiai districts, introducing stricter requirements regarding the wearing of protective masks.
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Quarantine in these municipalities will be in force until November 11. Masks will not have to be worn only outside populated areas where there are no people other than members of the same household within a 20 meter radius.
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The Lithuanian government also decided on Wednesday to ban mass events both indoors and outdoors throughout Lithuania from Friday. The exception is sporting and cultural events, which are subject to stricter restrictions.
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A total of 12,138 people have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus in the country, and recovery has been confirmed in 4,502 people.
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10,806 tests were performed last day and infection with the new coronavirus was confirmed in 776 people, were positive in 7.2% of tests. A total of 964,352 analyzes have been performed in Lithuania since the beginning of the pandemic.
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The disease caused by the virus has claimed the lives of a total of 144 people in Lithuania, but the cause of death of another 52 people infected with the virus was different.
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