Iohannis: We are in the 4th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic; pandemic wave effects depend on vaccination

President Klaus Iohannis said on Thursday that Romania is in the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of this pandemic wave depend directly on vaccination coverage.      "We are in the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and I wanted to talk to the two ministers, on the one hand, about how the healthcare system is prepared and, on the other hand, about the beginning of the new school year. One thing is for sure: the extent of the effects of this pandemic wave depends directly on the vaccination coverage of the Romanian population. Just a few days ago, health experts published a series of analyses that show that unvaccinated people make up the vast majority of cases of SARS-CoV2 infections and COVID-19 related deaths recently recorded in Romania. There is no doubt that vaccination is the main measure of protection against illness and the disease worsening," said Iohannis after a working meeting on the beginning of the new school year with the Health Minister Ioana Mihaila and Education Minister Sorin-Mihai Cimpeanu.      Iohannis mentioned that Romania "is in a good state in terms of the resources to provide vaccination for all those who want to get vaccinated."      "The experience of vaccination is the same in our country as in any other civilised country and that is an example of normalcy. The virus we are facing is far from being kept in check, all the more so as its spread is global and very many countries are unable to vaccinate their citizens. These circumstances also explain the emergence of new strains, and vaccination alone significantly reduces the risk of serious illness and death," Iohannis said. AGERPRES (RO - author: Alina Novaceanu, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)