Oxygen concentrators arrive in Romania, in an event attended by Israel Ambassador to Romania David Saranga and a Romanian official. Photo: Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs

An Israeli emergency medical delegation arrived in Romania on Sunday night to help the country contain the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Romania is going through a difficult period,” said David Saranga, Israel’s Ambassador to Romania. “The team of COVID-19 intensive care and logistics experts will share Israel’s experience in coping with the coronavirus. The delegation will be ready to go wherever is needed in Romania, to come to the aid of the medical staff and provide them with guidance.”

Israel has been among the leaders of the global COVID-19 vaccination drive, including through its rollout of a booster dose received by almost four million Israelis so far. As a result, the country has recently seen its active coronavirus cases drop to their lowest level in three months. At the end of October, Israel reported 41 percent fewer cases per day — the biggest reduction in coronavirus morbidity anywhere in the world, according to global trackers.

The five-member Israeli delegation is headed by Dr. Rami Sagi, deputy head of the hospitals division at the Israeli Ministry of Health.

The team arrived after a shipment of oxygen generators donated by Israel was sent to Romania last week through Jerusalem’s embassy in Bucharest. The shipment is part of a humanitarian aid package for Romania from the Israeli government and private sector, with the oxygen tanks donated by Elbit Systems and Effi Europe.

Romania has been hit hard by the fourth coronavirus wave, and struggles with one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe and a high COVID-19 mortality rate. The death toll since the start of the pandemic has surpassed 50,000 people, comprising mainly the unvaccinated. As of Monday, Romania registered a total of 1,711,137 cases of COVID-19 infections, with 4,255 new cases and 241 deaths reported over the past 24 hours.

“Romania is one of the best and closest friends Israel has and the close relations between the nations has a long history,” Saranga said. “The two countries have strategic relations that include close cooperation in the fields of economics, health and culture.”

”We will continue to support Romania in order to overcome this impasse as soon as possible,” he added.