Covid forecast: 2,500 new cases, under 170 patients in hospital
Fewer than 2,500 people are expected to be infected with coronavirus this week and hospitalizations are likely to fall below 170, the Health Board's weekly forecast shows.
Hanna Sepp, head of the Health Board's Communicable Diseases Department, said approximately 3,300 new infections were reported last week, and the number of registered cases has fallen by 35 percent when compared to figures for the week before last.
"The "R" infection rate has dropped to less than 0.8. This week we can expect a little under 350 infections to be reported each day," Sepp explained, adding that in terms of infection we have reached the green risk level.
She said incidents of infection over the past fourteen days have shown a marked downward trend in all counties.
"The biggest drop has been observed amongst younger people, with figures for them down by about 41 percent. The number of people in the 60+ age group who have been infected fell by 28 percent," she said, adding the highest incidence rate had occurred amongst 30-34 year-olds.
Results from the coronavirus wastewater screening process also continue to show a downward trend. The sewage map is predominantly yellow. Paide, Mõisaküla, and Abja-Paluoja are in green. The highest virus levels are in the Maardu and Viimsi-Muuga areas of Harju County. Kärdla and Pärnu have also maintained a stable higher virus level.
Nearly 130 people were hospitalised last week, with the number of hospitalisations reduced by 45 percent. Nearly 190 people currently require hospital treatment. Patients over sixty years of age account for 68 percdent of all hospitalisations, with an average age of 74.
From May, the Health Board will publish the COVID-19 statistics on a weekly basis only, on Wednesdays, together with an epidemiological overview and a summary of the wastewater survey.
"From next month, the current PCR testing procedure will also be changed, whereby the priority for PCR testing will remain on high-risk groups," explained Sepp.
As the importance of PCR testing has decreased over time, the HOIA mobile app, which is used to alert users of their having come into close contact with a virus carrier, will also be closed down from May.
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Editor: Helen Wright
