BUCHAREST, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Romania reported 441 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 5,202, authorities announced on Thursday.
The deaths rose by 2 to 229 in the same time span, the Strategic Communication Group (GCS), the government agency authorized to publish information on COVID-19, informed in its daily announcement.
Of the infected persons, 647 were declared cured and discharged from hospital, while 178 patients are being treated in intensive care units, the GCS added.
Meanwhile, as many as 1,917 persons broke self-isolation rules and have been placed in institutional quarantine up to now according to the relevant regulations of a military ordinance that took effect on March 22, while 61 quarantined persons illegally left their designated residences and were ordered a new 14-day quarantine period, the GCS also said.
Romania announced a nationwide lockdown from March 25, after the country entered a state of emergency on March 16 when the number of COVID-19 cases exceeded 100.
The East European country reported its first case on Feb. 26, involving a 20-year-old Romanian national infected by an Italian visitor. Local medical officials and experts estimate that Romania will reach the peak of the outbreak in 10 days to half a month.
