Latvia among hardest-hit by new COVID-19 wave in EU

Latvia had the sixth highest COVID-19 infection rate in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) last week, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said Thursday, reported Xinhua.

Between Sept. 6 and 19, Latvia's cumulative 14-day number of COVID-19 cases reached 316.7 per 100,000 residents, which was well above the EU/EEA average of 156.8 cases per 100,000 residents.

While COVID-19 cases have been dropping in most other European countries as more and more people get vaccinated against the virus, Latvia is experiencing a resurgence of infections, as less than half of its population has been immunized due to slow vaccine uptake.

With 43.4 percent of the Baltic country's residents inoculated so far, the country has one of the smallest vaccination rates in the EU/EEA, according to data by the National Health Service.

On Thursday, Latvia registered 776 new COVID-19 cases and four people died of the virus, the health authorities said.