Health Board: More than 4,100 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed last week
As of Monday morning, a total of 136 people in Estonia are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. In all, 4,157 new cases of COVID were diagnosed last week, and another just under 2,000 new lab-confirmed cases can be expected this week, the Health Board said in its weekly forecast.
A total of 4,157 new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed last week, including 1,933 lab-confirmed and 2,224 clinically diagnosed cases, said Hanna Sepp, director of the Health Board's Department of Infectious DIseases.
"Compared with last week, [COVID] morbidity decreased by 10.7 percent, the number of lab-confirmed cases fell by 13.7 percent and the number of clinically diagnosed cases fell by 7.9 percent," Sepp said. "We can expect just under 2,000 lab-confirmed cases this week."
The department director noted that the reproduction number, R, is currently 0.94. According to the risk matrix based on the number of hospitalizations, the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in Estonia is currently at the yellow or medium level.
According to the 7-day rolling average, the number of people hospitalized due to COVID has fallen from 9.1 to 8.3. As of Monday morning, 133 people in Estonia are hospitalized with COVID, 7 of whom are currently on ventilators in intensive care. 129 new COVID cases were opened at hospitals last week.
Eight people died due to COVID last week, the average age of whom was 81.4 years old.
This week, the number of hospitalizations is expected to remain stable around 130.
The 14-day average of COVID-19 morbidity is on a downward trend in all Estonian counties except Ida-Viru, Põlva and Viljandi.
The biggest decrease was recorded in Valga, Lääne and Järva counties. Morbidity remained steady, meanwhile, in Jõgeva, Tartu and Võru counties.
Overall vaccination rate 63.5 percent
Between Monday, August 8 and Sunday, August 14, a total of 6,000 COVID vaccine doses were administered across Estonia, including 439 initial doses.
In all, 474,185 people have received additional or booster doses, putting Estonia's overall vaccination rate with two or more doses at 63.5 percent.
The results of wastewater monitoring last week indicate that the spread of the COVID-19 virus in wastewater is at the red or very high risk level in 48 percent of the country. On week, the amount of COVID virus particles detected in wastewater has increased significantly throughout Estonia.
The highest levels of COVID-19 virus particles were detected in wastewater in Ahtme, with higher levels detected at other sites sampled in Ida-Viru County as well.
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Aili Vahtla
