Donetsk, Sep 16 - DAN.  Occupancy rates at hospitals for COVID-19 patients in the Donetsk People’s Republic have approached 100 percent, the DPR Healthcare Ministry press service reported on Thursday.

“With the increasing COVID-19 rates, hospitals are filled to 100 percent capacity which increases the workload on medics, making the difficult conditions they have been working in for 18 months even more challenging,” the Ministry said.

The epidemiological situation remains tense. The DPR set up 38 centers to combat the coronavirus infection. The Healthcare Ministry urged the population to take a responsible approach to their health.

A majority of hospitalized patients are not vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination helps avoid severe illness, complications and intensive care as a consequence. Vaccination in the DPR is available to everybody who is over 18 years of age and has no contraindications.

Meanwhile, the DPR reported 529 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours. DPR medics have confirmed 61,400 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the coronavirus infection outbreak; 49, 251 people have recovered, 4,520 continue treatment and 4,520 have died.*jk