RIGA, Feb 24 (LETA) - The number of new Covid-19 cases registered at nursing homes across Latvia is decreasing currently, as the Welfare Ministry's State Secretary Ingus Alliks told Saeima Public Administration and Local Government Committee.

According to Alliks, there were 648 Covid-19 patients at nursing homes as of February 1, which is 4.9 percent of the total number of nursing homes' residents. On February 22, there were 371 Covid-19 patients at nursing homes, or 2.8 percent of all nursing homes' residents. The number of new Covid-19 cases has been decreasing particularly fast at state nursing homes, Alliks added.

At the moment, the number of new Covid-19 cases at nursing homes makes up 7 percent of the total number of new Covid-19 cases registered in Latvia.

In total, 1,202 nursing homes' residents have recovered from Covid-19, including 489 residents at state nursing homes and 713 at municipal nursing homes. 65 residents were hospitalized.

The number of new Covid-19 cases at municipal nursing homes has been decreasing slower than at state nursing homes. For instance, 221 new Covid-19 cases were registered at municipal nursing homes during the first week of February, and 214 cases last week. On the other hand, 284 new Covid-19 cases were registered at state nursing homes during the first week of February, and just 31 cases last week.

Covid-19 mortality rates have been decreasing at roughly the same pace at state and municipal nursing homes. 24 municipal nursing homes' residents died of Covid-19 in the first week of February, and 16 last week. At state nursing homes, 14 residents died of Covid-19 in the first week of February, and nine died last week.

So far, approximately one-third of residents at nursing homes have been vaccinated for Covid-19, said Alliks. Part of those who have not have recently recovered from the coronavirus.

According to surveys carried out at nursing homes, about 80 percent of nursing homes' residents are willing to get vaccinated against Covid-19, the Health Ministry's Parliamentary Secretary Ilmars Duritis (For Development/For) told the committee.

As reported, vaccination of nursing homes' residents against Covid-19 began on February 10.