BUCHAREST, Romania: Romania on Sunday recorded its highest number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units since the pandemic began.

The increasing pressure on ICU wards — where today 1,334 people are currently receiving care — comes amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in the Eastern European country.

Over the past week, Romania has been recording its highest number of infections in three months — on some days more than 6,000 new daily cases.

On Saturday, health officials convened in the capital as they looked for ways to increase ICU bed capacity in order to avoid a looming shortage.

But despite the pressure on Romania’s health care system, Prime Minister Florin Citu insisted that a strict national lockdown won’t be enforced.

“A lot of people are asking if we will end up in lockdown again. My very clear answer is: NO,” Citu wrote online Saturday.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Romania, which has a population of more than 19 million, has recorded more than 897,000 infections, 22,208 deaths, and it has administered more than 2.4 million vaccines.