Romanian photographer urges countrymen to get COVID vaccine amid surge in cases: Report

As the country is battling a COVID-19 surge, a Romanian photographer has urged people to take the vaccine as soon as possible to contain the spread of the deadly virus. Cristian Movilă is attempting to persuade people to get the vaccine after spending more than 150 hours shooting inside intensive care units, reported Euronews. "They suffocate. They beg. They regret," these are the messages that have been displayed by Movilă in the heart of Bucharest, Romania's capital, as the country battles its fourth wave of Coronavirus. 

According to the report, only over half of Romania's population is completely vaccinated, and health officials have frequently urged an increase in vaccination rates, stating that "prevention is the greatest defence." "If you experience the reality of the intensive care units, you cannot erase it from your memory. I am hoping these messages stay here, and after a day or two, or a week of these kinds of messages and visuals, people might decide to take the vaccine," the photographer was quoted as saying by the news outlet. 

More than 54,000 people died of COVID-19 in Romania

According to the latest data, 54,343 people have died in Romania as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The data also suggested that in the last three weeks, over 300 people have succumbed to the deadly virus each day. Thousands of people are dying in hospitals across the country because more than 90% of critically ill patients are not vaccinated, despite the availability of free vaccines. The Romanian government and health authorities have been repeatedly persuading the public that vaccines are safe and effective in the fight against the virus, reported Euronews. 

It is worth noting here that on November 2, Romania set a new pandemic record with 591 COVID-19 deaths, with more than 90 per cent of those unvaccinated, reported the Associated Press (AP) citing the country's authorities. Romania presently has the fifth-highest coronavirus death rate in the world, with 262 deaths per 100,000 people, according to Johns Hopkins University. Dr Catalin Cirstoiu, the manager at the University Emergency Hospital, stated that the terrible situation unfolding in Romania constitutes a "complete failure" by the authorities. He also went on to add that the current crisis in the country is caused by "the population's inability to realise that they need to get vaccinated," reported the news agency. 

(Image: Twitter/ Cristian Movilă/Unsplash)