Romania battles COVID-19 surge, vaccine misinformation

morgue at Bucharest's University Emergency Hospital in Romania's capital is struggling to cope with an ditional number of bodies that need processing amid a rapid, dely surge of COVID-19 cases which has all but crippled country's ailing health care system.

bodies in morgue lay wrapped in thick black plastic body bags, as masked hospital staff nail shut wooden coffins of those who have died of COVID-19.

Romania, a European Union nation of around 19 million, has fully vaccinated just 39% of ults compared to 27-nation EU average of 75%.

Over last two months, Eastern European country has faced a record-setting onslaught of coronavirus cases and deaths — with hundreds dying each day of COVID-19.

Dr. Maria Sajin, he of Bucharest hospital's morgue, told Associated Press Monday that of 26 bodies morgue h dealt with that day — when 273 coronavirus deaths were confirmed nationwide - 14 h tested positive with COVID-19. Before pandemic, Sajin said, daily death toll rarely exceeded 10.

Sajin's frustration with Romania's low vaccination rate is palpable. She berates lack of education surrounding jabs, which are available for free throughout country, and believes shots "should be compulsory."

"When I was younger re was a very high respect for doctors," said Sajin, who struggles to hold back her tears and is bewildered that, during pandemic, Romanian doctors have occasionally been target of abuse. "I don't think that we should end up insulting those who try to do good."

On November 2, Romania hit a pandemic record of 591 COVID-19 deaths, more than 90% of whom h not been vaccinated, authorities said.

According to Johns Hopkins University, Romania currently has fifth-highest coronavirus death rate in world per 100,000 of population at 262.

Dr. Catalin Cirstoiu, manager at University Emergency Hospital, told AP that dark situation unfolding in Romania represents a "total failure" by authorities and that current situation in Romania is caused by " population's inability to comprehend that y need to get vaccinated."

Monday, more than 1,800 COVID-19 patients throughout country are receiving intensive care treatment, more than 50,000 people with coronavirus have died during pandemic, and more than 1.7 million have been infected.

"We (have h) 500 deaths a day, that's population of a village by ministrative standards, a village vanishes daily in Romania," Cirstoiu said. "If we count all fatalities in Romania, we will end up with disappearance of population of quite a big city."

Romania's unfolding health care calamity - which prompted World Health Organization in October to send a representative to assist with national response - forced authorities to impose tighter restrictions two weeks ago.

Vaccination certificates are now required for various day-to-day activities, such as going to gym, cinema, or a shopping center. For everyone, re is a 10 p.m. curfew.

During summer, when Romanian authorities h all but abandoned restrictive measures, number of COVID-19 vaccines ministered daily h plummeted to around 10,000. Despite an upswing through October to record daily doses ministered of 150,000, on Monday fewer than 70,000 people got jabbed, with less than 29,000 those having received ir first shot.

consequences of Romania's failed vaccine campaign are far-reaching.

On Monday, when schools resumed activity after an extended autumn break to help curb infections, more than 30% of schools were forced online because not enough staff meet new government criteria of 60% vaccination rate to resume in-person learning.

Octavian Jurma, a Romanian physician and health statistician, called criteria for schools opening physically "ridiculous."

"It is complete chaos since schools in same city with same very high incidence are randomly opened," Jurma told AP. "But schools in some villages with zero incidences (of COVID-19) and no online connectivity — have to go online because teachers are not vaccinated."

Despite a drop in cases since restrictions were imposed, overworked and overwhelmed medics are not optimistic about pandemic in Romania ending soon.