Health authorities have placed the COVID-19 risk level for the fifth week of December at "very high" for the whole country and the capital region.

Non-capital areas were assessed at "medium" risk.

A highest level evaluation has continued nationwide from the fourth week of November, and for the capital region, from the third week of the same month.

Overall, pandemic indicators have been improving since special quarantine measures took effect on December 18. 

The number of deaths has dropped for the first time since November, but critical patients still remain at a record level. Despite the high figure, ICU bed occupancy rates have gone down as more hospital beds were added.

As a result, patient numbers in proportion to medical capacity have fallen for the second week to dip below 100 percent in the capital region for the first time since the fourth week of November.