Press Release N°56/2021 COVID-19: the main monitoring data from the Situation Room

ISS, October 29th 2021

Here are the main data that emerged from the Situation Room:

There was an increase in the weekly incidence at national level: 46 per 100,000 inhabitants (22/10/2021 – 28/10/2021) versus 34 per 100,000 inhabitants (15/10/2021 –21/10/2021), data provided by the Ministry of Health.

· In the period 6 October - 19 October 2021, the mean Rt calculated on symptomatic cases was equal to 0.96 (range 0.83 – 1.16), just below the epidemic threshold with an increase compared to the previous week. The “augmented” Rt was above the epidemic threshold (Rt = 1.14 (1.13 – 1.16) on 19/10/2021), calculated on partially complete data and partially attributed to the last week. The transmissibility index, based on individuals who were hospitalized, increased and exceeded the epidemic threshold (Rt = 1.13 (1.07-1.19) on 19/10/2021 versus Rt = 0.89 (0.84-0.93) on 12/10/2021). It is deemed that the Rt estimates are deemed to be insensitive to the recent increase in the number of swabs taken, since these estimates are based only on symptomatic and/or hospitalized cases).

· Bed occupancy in the intensive care units remained stable at 3.7% (daily survey of the Ministry of Health on 28/10), while bed occupancy in medical wards nationwide increased to 4.5%.

· 18 Regions / Autonomous Provinces were classified as being at moderate risk, according to the Ministerial Decree of 30 April 2020. The remaining 3 Regions / Autonomous Provinces were classified as low risk.

· 13 Regions / Autonomous Provinces reported a resilience alert. None of the Regions reported multiple resilience alerts.

• There was a sharp increase in the number of new cases not associated with transmission chains (6,264 versus 4,759 in the previous week), while the percentage of cases detected through contact tracing remained stable (33% versus 33% last week). The percentage of cases detected through the onset of symptoms also remained stable (47% versus 47%), and the percentage of cases diagnosed through screening activities increased slightly (20% versus 19%)