RIGA, Jan 20 (LETA) - Riga Hospital No.1 will start admitting the first Covid-19 patients next week, the Riga City Council's public relations department reported.

Riga Hospital No.1, currently providing mostly out-patient services, will be turned into a hospital for Covid-19 patients.

The premises now are being adapted for the needs, and Riga is considering possibilities to attract additional staff. The first Covid-19 patients can be admitted to the hospital by the end of next week. In total, the hospital plans to open 50 Covid-19 beds.

"Riga and the state are solving the Covid-19 pandemics with joint forces. We have managed to respond to the Health Ministry's call. Riga has done all the necessary preparation to prepare Riga Hospital No.1 for a new function," said Riga Mayor Martins Stakis (For/Progressives).

The mayor and Health Minister Daniels Pavluts (For Development/For) discussed the role of the Latvian capital in the mass vaccination process. Health Ministry's representatives confirmed that they will cooperate with the local government in the vaccination process.

According to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), in the past 14 days, 601 new Covid-19 cases were registered in Riga, bringing the 14-day cumulative incidence to 669 cases per 100,000 residents.