188 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Latvia, taking the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 3,392 and exceeding Friday's record of 148 cases.
The Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) said 5,332 tests were conducted during the previous 24-hour period and that 3.5% of tests conducted were positive (up from 3.1% the previous day). This last figure is becoming increasingly important as a measure of Latvia's ability to control the spread of the cornavirus, but in recent days has steadily climbed.
Pēdējo 24h laikā veikti 5332 COVID-19 izmeklējumi, reģistrēti 188 jauni inficēšanās gadījumi, 1 persona mirusi (vecuma grupā no 60 līdz 65).
— SPKC.gov.lv (@SPKCentrs) October 17, 2020
Pozitīvo gadījumu īpatsvars pret testētajiem - 3.5%.
Latvijā kopā saslimušas 3392 personas un 1329 izveseļojušās.
In total 388,281 tests have been carried out since February 29.
So far 1,329 patients have recovered from infection and 43 have died. The latest patient to die was aged 60 to 65 years, the SPKC said.
At least 50 of the new cases are linked to an outbreak in Vecpiebalga district, while 13 of the infected have returned from Belarus as part of the Dinamo Rīga hockey club, which played in Minsk recently.
Data from the National Health Service (NVD) show that the number of patients being treated in hospitals rose, too. Currently, 69 patients are being treated in hospitals, up from 63 on Friday. 63 patients show moderate symptoms of the disease, six have severe symptoms.
Jauni COVID-19 gadījumi stacionāros – 11. Kopā stacionāros ārstējas 69 pacienti: 63 ar vidēji smagu slimības gaitu, 6 ar smagu slimības gaitu. Kopā no stacionāra izrakstīti 281 pacienti.
— NVD (@VMNVD) October 17, 2020
On October 17 Lithuania recorded 228 cases of coronavirus, while Estonia recorded 36 cases, reported LTV.
On October 16 the 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 of population was 61.9 in Latvia, 70.7 in Lithuania and 40.0 in Estonia, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
The threshold for the introduction of compulsory self-isolation upon arrival in Latvia is now pegged to Latvia's own rate last Friday of 61.9.
COVID-19 information
A summary in English of the latest COVID-19 situation including restrictions in place and rules on public assembly is available at this special government website.
The number for medical emergencies is 113, the number for enquiring about a COVID-19 test if you have developed some potential symptoms after returning from overseas or being in contact with someone confirmed as having coronavirus is 8303 and the SPKC COVID-19 advice helpline is 67387661.
The SPKC has information in English about the approved methods of protecting yourself from the virus, symptoms and medical procedures and an interactive map plotting the incidence and distribution of the disease in Latvia.
