Skopje, 10 January 2022 (MIA) — Of the total of 2,063 PCR and rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 done in the country's laboratories on Jan. 2 through Jan. 8, 238 came back positive, in 23 cities nationwide, for the airborne virus. Of them, 183 were in Skopje and 87 were confirmed reinfections, according to official figures in the latest weekly report released by the Institute of Public Health. Health officials also logged nine deaths from SARS-CoV-2.

According to the latest official figures, five of the nine people whose deaths from SARS-CoV-2 were reported last week died in Skopje; one person died in Kumanovo; one person died in Bitola; one person died in Veles; and one person died in Gostivar.

Officially, 257 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 are considered to be active cases.

Over the past week, 242 people were declared 'recovered' from their acute symptoms.

Currently hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 are 30 people, 16 more than last week. Of them, 12 are on oxygen support — four more than last week — and no patients are currently on a life-support ventilator machine.

Since the start of the pandemic, the country’s laboratories have performed a total of 2,210,818 coronavirus tests (of which 66.3% PCR tests and 33.6% rapid antigen tests), officially logging 346,095 SARS-CoV-2 cases, declaring 336,215 recoveries, and confirming 21,384 reinfections.

“Of the reinfections, 27 ended in death. Also recorded were the deaths of nine pregnant women and 41 health workers," the report says.

Amid the pandemic, 9,623 people have died in North Macedonia from SARS-CoV-2 so far.

The R₀ of the virus, as estimated by the report, is currently 1.09.

According to WHO indicators, the Institute for Public Health says, North Macedonia has wide community transmission, sublevel 1, with adequate response capacity. mr/