Health Minister Vili Beros said at a government session on Thursday that the latest figures showed a worrying yet not surprising increase in the number of new coronavirus infections, and that the situation required responsibility and self-discipline.

Earlier in the day, the national Covid-19 response team reported 748 new cases of coronavirus infection.

“The number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants and the share of positive tests have been growing again over the past week. The number of active cases has grown from 11% to almost 15% in relation to the week before,” Beros said, calling for responsibility and self-discipline.

He reiterated that the source of new infections lately had been larger private and public gatherings and called on citizens not to take part in such events.

Currently there are 3,221 Covid-19 patients, including 441 who are hospitalised. Over the past week, 350 patients have been admitted to hospitals and 244 have been released. Currently 27 patients are on ventilators, two more than on Tuesday. A total of 192 medical workers are positive and 907 are self-isolating, the minister said.

He noted that the introduction of e-referrals made it possible to ask hospitals for exact times for specialist examinations, with patients no longer having to go to their GP for a referral, which was of great importance in the current time of epidemic.

Beros noted that this year’s vaccination against the flu would be done by family doctors.

He said that there was a sufficient number of doctors and nurses trained to care for patients with Covid-19 and that training for work in intensive care units was ongoing.

As for shortages of epidemiologists, Beros said that in places where they are in short supply, the hiring of additional epidemiologists and reassignments are possible.