LATEST CORONAVIRUS STATISTICS: 149 INFECTION CASES IN MOLDOVA

Over the past 24 hours, 24 new instances of COVID-19 infection were confirmed upon carrying out 153 tests, Minister of Health, Labor and Social Protection Viorica Dumbraveanu announced to the press on Wednesday evening, following the daily working meeting of the National Commission for Emergency Situations.

Out of the 24 new cases, 3 were imported from Great Britain and one from Germany. All the rest cases were the infection that took place in Moldova. So, by the present moment, the number of CoV-infected Moldova citizens has reached 149.

The Commission Head, Prime Minister Ion Chicu stated that due to the alarming development of the situation, it is necessary to further toughen anti-pandemic measures.

"Such measures will be discussed and approved at the Commission meeting to begin at 17.00 hrs on Thursday", the Prime Minister said, and called citizens to strictly observe security measures and to possibly not leave homes without an acute need.

Ion Chicu called civil servants, politicians and journalists to not disseminate panic in the society and to not distribute unauthentic information about the coronavirus spread.

"We are not going to introduce censorship or restrict the freedom of the media and expression. But we should not distribute unchecked information. Everything related to the coronavirus ought to be checked with the Ministry of Health", said Ion Chicu.

He dispelled certain media and politicians' assertions that Moldovan hospitals allegedly lack necessary equipment and treatment means and that the medical staff are allegedly insufficiently protected.

"No, all our hospitals are well equipped and provided for, and our doctors and nurses have necessary protection means. The thing is, before we take a decision on engaging a health institution into the anti-virus struggle, such hospital is first equipped with everything necessary and its personnel undergoes special instruction", stressed the Prime Minister.