Radio România Internațional

Tag: Easter

May 3, 2021 UPDATE

Pandemic Romania. 682 new coronavirus cases and
98 related fatalities were recorded in Romania on Monday, with more than 1,200
Covid patients still in intensive care. Bucharest and 13 of Romania’s 41
counties are in the so-called amber zone, with the rest in the green zone. The
incidence rate continued to drop in Bucharest to hit 2.62 cases per 1,000
residents, which allows restaurants and performance venues to reopen for
business indoors at 30% capacity beginning on Monday. The Bucharest prefect
Alin Stoica said all businesses, including performance venues and restaurants,
can stay open until 9 pm. People’s night-time movement outside their homes is
still not allowed after 10 pm. The restrictions in place will next be reviewed
when the incidence rate hits 1.5 cases per 1,000 residents, when a further
relaxation is expected. Performance venues and restaurants will be able to open
at 50% capacity and outdoor events with a maximum of 300 spectators will be
allowed at that point. More than 1 million people have had the virus in Romania
since the first case was reported on 26th February last year and
more than 28,000 have died.

Press freedom.
On World Press Freedom Day on 3rd May, prime minister Florin Cîţu urged
journalists to continue to work with the authorities in efforts to provide
accurate information and raise awareness about vaccination. He thanked
journalists for their work during the pandemic, work he described as vital in
combating misinformation about the virus and vaccination. I wish you to remain
free and independent, on the side of truth and public good and to provide
accurate information to the public, the prime minister posted on his Facebook
page. 3rd May was declared World Press Freedom Day on 23rd
December 1993 by the UN General Assembly. Commemorating it highlights the need and importance of respecting
freedom of expression, which is a fundamental human right. EU officials said
the freedom of the press is under threat both in the developed countries and in
conflict areas According to the UNESCO Observer, 76 journalists were killed
since 2020, and many more were arrested, harassed or threatened worldwide, with
gender-based violence facing women journalists being of particular concern.

EU-Russia. The EU summoned Russian ambassador on
Monday to convey its firm condemnation and objection to Moscow’s banning eight
EU officials, including the president of the European Parliament David Sassoli
and the European Commission vice-president and European commissioner for values
and transparency Vera Jourova. Russia last Friday banned the eight officials
from entering Russia after the European Parliament adopted a resolution
denouncing Russia’s actions and calling for economic and political sanctions. The
European Union reserves the right to take appropriate measures in response to
the Russian authorities’ decision, said a joint statement of the presidents of
the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council.

Easter. Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians
in majority-Orthodox Romania and around the world celebrate Easter, which lasts
three days. On the second day of Easter, on Monday, churches held the same
service as on Saturday night. In Romania, the faithful were allowed to attend
the Easter service not only outdoors, but also inside, as the authorities made
an exception from ongoing restrictions. Also, the night-time curfew was lifted
on Saturday night, with movement being allowed all night long.

Online shopping. The coronavirus pandemic led to
a 36% rise in the amount of online shopping carried out in Romania, the biggest
increase across the European Union. Experts say the sector hit 7 billion euros
in 2020 for the first time in its history. Pharmacies saw a spectacular rise as
they began to sell their products online. Online shopping is expected to rise
by a further 15% this year to pass 8 billion euros.

Tennis. World no. 3 of Romania Simona Halep will
be playing Belgium’s Elise Mertens on Tuesday in the
third round of the Madrid WTA tennis tournament. On Sunday in the second round,
Mertens defeated Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, while Halep defeated Saisai
Zheng of China. (CM)

3 May 2021
May 3, 2021

Pandemic Romania. 682 new coronavirus cases and
98 related fatalities were recorded in Romania on Monday, with more than 1,200
Covid patients still in intensive care. Bucharest and 13 of Romania’s 41
counties are in the so-called amber zone, with the rest in the green zone. The
incidence rate continued to drop in Bucharest to hit 2.62 cases per 1,000
residents, which allows restaurants and performance venues to reopen for
business indoors at 30% capacity beginning on Monday. The Bucharest prefect
Alin Stoica said all businesses, including performance venues and restaurants,
can stay open until 9 pm. People’s night-time movement outside their homes is
still not allowed after 10 pm. The restrictions in place will next be reviewed
when the incidence rate hits 1.5 cases per 1,000 residents, when a further
relaxation is expected. Performance venues and restaurants will be able to open
at 50% capacity and outdoor events with a maximum of 300 spectators will be
allowed at that point. More than 1 million people have had the virus in Romania
since the first case was reported on 26th February last year and
more than 28,000 have died.

Press freedom.
On World Press Freedom Day on 3rd May, prime minister Florin Cîţu urged
journalists to continue to work with the authorities in efforts to provide
accurate information and raise awareness about vaccination. He thanked
journalists for their work during the pandemic, saying it is vital in combating
misinformation about the virus and vaccination. I wish you to remain free and
independent, on the side of truth and public good and to provide accurate
information to the public, the prime minister posted on his Facebook page. 3rd
May was declared World Press Freedom Day on 23rd December 1993 by
the UN General Assembly following a recommendation adopted by UNESCO in 1991.
The day highlights the need and importance of respecting freedom of expression,
which is a fundamental human right. On Sunday, the EU High Representative for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said 76 journalists were
killed since 2020, and many more were arrested, harassed or threatened
worldwide. He said that of particular concern is gender-based violence
targeting women journalists. The EU official said that press freedom means
security for all and defined it as a fundamental right of democratic societies
that can only prosper if citizens have access to credible information so that
they can take informed decisions. EU will also continue its action to counter
disinformation and seek with all partners effective means to support
sustainable business models for independent media, Borrell also said.

Easter. Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians
in majority-Orthodox Romania and around the world celebrate Easter, which lasts
three days. On the second day of Easter, on Monday, churches held the same
service as on Saturday night. In Romania, the faithful were allowed to attend
the Easter service not only outdoors, but also inside, as the authorities made
an exception from ongoing restrictions. Also, the night-time curfew was lifted
on Saturday night, with movement being allowed all night long.

Tennis. World no. 3 of Romania Simona Halep will
be playing Belgium’s Elise Mertens on Tuesday in the
third round of the Madrid WTA tennis tournament. On Sunday in the second round,
Mertens defeated Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, while Halep defeated Saisai
Zheng of China.

Handball. The Romanian men’s
handball side failed to qualified for the 2022 European Championship after
losing to Montenegro 19:23 in Podgorica in their final qualifying group match.
Romania needed to win in order to finish second in their group and thus secure a
place in the championship. Sweden finished first in the group with 12 points
followed by Montenegro with 6, and Kosovo and Romania with 3. Romania last
qualified for a European championship in 1996 in Spain, where they ranked 9th.
The 2022 tournament will be co-hosted by Slovakia and Hungary.

Weather. A cloud of Saharan dust reached
Romania, but the concentration is much lower than in the area of the Italian
peninsula and the south of the Balkan peninsula. The phenomenon is the result
of the advance of a front of tropical air from northern Africa. The weather
remains very hot for this time of the year in Romania, with highs of 26 degrees
Celsius in Bucharest on Monday. (CM)

3 May 2021
Romanian Easter traditions

The Christian Orthodox world is
celebrating Easter, one month after Western Christianity. We’ll be looking at
how this holiday is celebrated in Romania, which is a majority Orthodox
country. But first, let’s find out from ethnologist Delia Suiogan how the date
of Easter is calculated and why Catholic and Protestant Easter doesn’t usually
overlap with Orthodox Easter:

The spring equinox is the common
element in the calculation of the date of Easter in all calendars. Orthodox
Christians follow the Julian calendar, while Catholics use the Gregorian calendar.
There is a difference of 13 days between the two calendars. The spring equinox
falls on 8th March according to the Gregorian calendar and on 21st
March according to the Julian calendar. The date of the full moon is calculated
depending on the two moments. When the full moon falls on a Sunday for the
Orthodox, Easter will be celebrated a week later. The same for the Gregorian
calendar, except for the 13-day difference, which is why the resulting date is
different. It’s important to note that Easter is a celebration that takes into
account the moon and not the sun, as is the case for Christmas. This naturally has
a direct influence on traditions and customs. Catholic Easter is usually
celebrated before Orthodox Easter.

The week before Easter abounds in symbols.
The whole period is traditionally marked by restraint and decorum in all
aspects of social life. Sabina Ispas, the director of the Constantin Brăiloiu
Institute of Ethnography and Folklore in Bucharest, explains:

A service for the remembrance of
the dead is performed on Thursday before Easter. According to some records from
16th century, the family of the departed would gather at their
graves, where they would lament their passing and burn incense. Bonfires would
also be organised. This fire was not seen as destructive, but as encapsulating
the significance of light. It’s a form of expression of divine energy, which would
also come to manifest itself over the following days and nights. In the days
leading up to Easter, evening services are held after the sun sets. On Thursday
before Easter, for example, a service called the Mass of the 12 Gospels is held.
This particular Thursday is also when eggs are traditionally painted, lambs are
slaughtered and the Easter cake is made. Each activity performed in the
household has a symbolic, allegorical meaning and heralds the moment of
Resurrection on Saturday night. Friday before Easter symbolises the moment when
Christ was laid in his tomb. On this day, people would traditionally eat very little
or even fast all day. Bonfires would also be held in church courtyards, just
like on Resurrection night.

Saturday night before Easter is very
important. No one is to sleep on this night, and people used to light bonfires in
their gardens, while at midnight everyone has to be in church to receive the
light. The candle lit in church, which people would take home, was believed to protect
the family the entire year. The image of the people carrying lit candles is in
fact quite spectacular, and can still be seen today, not only in villages, but
in cities as well. A special basket containing samples of the Easter meal would
also be prepared in advance and taken to church to be blessed, as people in traditional
communities would never touch the food on special holidays such as Easter
unless it was blessed. The central element of the Easter meal is the red-painted
hard-boiled egg. Painting the eggs and preparing the food to be consumed on
Easter were the main activities performed in the days leading up to this celebration.
The northern Romanian region of Maramureş still preserves many of these old
traditions. Sabina Ispas, the director of the Constantin Brăiloiu Institute of Ethnography
and Folklore in Bucharest, tells us more about the symbolism of the Easter egg:

The hard-boiled egg comes via Judaism.
The Passover plate has a yellow egg in the middle next to some bitter herbs. In
Romanian tradition, eggs are to be painted red. The modern practice of painting
the Easter eggs green, blue and different other colours and combinations, not
to mention their featuring all manner of images, such as cats, dogs and cartoon
characters, has nothing to do with the traditional holiday. Eggs had to be
painted red, and could only feature an image of the cross, of the grain of
wheat, of the fish, and, of a more recent date, plant leaves.

Lent, which is the long fasting
period before Easter, only ends early on Sunday morning, after people return
from church with the baskets of food blessed by the priest. The blessing itself
follows a specific ritual. The image of people gathering in front of churches
holding baskets full of traditional dishes and covered in beautifully decorated
hand-stitched cloths is truly impressive. But regardless of how it is
celebrated across different regions of the country, Easter still remains an opportunity
for shared joy and an important event that brings families and communities
together.

2 May 2021
April 30, 2021 UPDATE

Pandemic Romania. The coronavirus pandemic continues to slow down in
Romania, where 1,636 new daily cases and 138 new fatalities were recorded. In Bucharest, the incidence rate dropped
below 3 cases per 1,000 people over the course of 14 days. The public
health directorate said no other locality or county in Romania is now in the
red zone. Romania found one case of the Indian variant in an Indian worker from Brasov county, but this variant differs from that blamed for the current
epidemiological situation in India. In the meantime, the Covid
vaccination campaign that began in December last year continues. An increasing
number of towns and cities around the country are hosting events and activities
meant to facilitate access to vaccination. Drive-through vaccination sites
opened in Bucharest, Deva (in the west of the country), Cluj Napoca (in the
north-west) and Arad (in the west), an initiative president Klaus Iohannis said
is a success. According to the coordinator of Romania’s mass vaccination
campaign Valeriu Gheorghiţă, more such sites will open in Bucharest and around
the country.

Pandemic world. India hits new
record of daily Covid infections as some 390,000 more cases and almost 3,500
new fatalities are reported. India’s health system is struggling to cope and hospitals
around the country are overwhelmed with the huge number of new admissions. The US
sent emergency aid consisting of oxygen concentrators and other medical
supplies. Romania also joined the list of countries sending humanitarian aid to
India, with its Department for Emergency Situations saying the medical
equipment sent by Bucharest arrived in New Delhi. Romania’s assistance consists
in some 200 medical devices producing or supplying oxygen.

Holiday. The Easter and Labour Day holiday began officially on Friday,
with Romanians enjoying four days off work. The traffic police have reported
busier traffic on the roads to the mountains and the seaside. The authorities
have dispatched more police to ensure road safety. Around 26,000 police,
gendarmerie, border police and fire service staff are on stand-by. Security
forces are also present in large numbers in tourist resorts in the mountains
and at the seaside and around churches holding Easter services. According to
the interior ministry, the main objective is protecting people’s lives and
health, including by discouraging behaviour that may spread the Covid pandemic.
More than 30,000 visitors are expected to spend the Labour Day and Easter
holiday on the Black Sea shores. Some 100 hotels opened for this occasion, many
of which are already 70% full, which is the maximum level allowed by the
authorities. Partying on the beach is not permitted, and wearing face masks is
mandatory.

Tennis. World no. 3 Simona Halep of Romania on Friday defeated Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in straight sets to reach
the second round of the Madrid WTA
tennis tournament, worth 2.5 million euros in prize money. Two other Romanian
players, however, lost their respective first-round matches: Fresh from winning
the title in Istanbul, world no. 58 Sorana Cirstea failed to get past the
American player Jessica Pegula, world no. 33, while world no. 75 Irina Begu lost
to world no. 37 Daria Kasatkina of Russia. (CM)

30 April 2021
April 30, 2021

Pandemic Romania. The coronavirus pandemic continues to slow down in
Romania, where 1,636 new daily cases and 138 new fatalities were recorded. In Bucharest, the incidence rate dropped
below 3 cases per 1,000 people tested over the course of 14 days. The public
health directorate said no other locality or county in Romania is now in the
red zone. Romania found one case of the Indian variant in an Indian worker in
Brasov county, but this variant differs from that blamed for the current
epidemiological situation in India. The 26-year-old man arrived in Romania one
month ago and has a mild form of the disease. In the meantime, the Covid
vaccination campaign that began in December last year continues. An increasing
number of towns and cities around the country are hosting events and activities
meant to facilitate access to vaccination. Drive-through vaccination sites
opened in Bucharest, Deva (in the west of the country), Cluj Napoca (in the
north-west) and Arad (in the west), an initiative president Klaus Iohannis said
is a success. According to the coordinator of Romania’s mass vaccination
campaign Valeriu Gheorghiţă, more such sites will open in Bucharest and around
the country.

Pandemic world. India hits new
record of daily Covid infections as some 390,000 more cases and almost 3,500
new fatalities are reported. India’s health system is struggling to cope and hospitals
around the country are overwhelmed with the huge number of new admissions. The US
sent emergency aid consisting of oxygen concentrators and other medical
supplies. Romania also joined the list of countries sending humanitarian aid to
India, with its Department for Emergency Situations saying the medical
equipment sent by Bucharest arrived in New Delhi. Romania’s assistance consists
in some 200 medical devices producing or supplying oxygen.

Holy Friday. Orthodox
and Greek Catholic Christians are today marking Holy Friday before Easter, a
day of commemoration and remembrance of Christ’s crucifixion. The last evening
service in the Passion Week is also held on this day in church. The service
symbolically re-enacts Christ’s death after being nailed to the cross, with an
icon called epitaphios and depicting Christ’s dead body taking centre stage.
The epitaphios is placed in the middle of the church and then carried outside around
the church. The Christian Orthodox world is celebrating Christ’s resurrection
on Sunday.

Tourism. The Easter and Labour Day holiday began officially on Friday,
with Romanians enjoying four days off work. The traffic police have reported
busier traffic on the roads to the mountains and the seaside. The authorities
have dispatched more police to ensure road safety. Around 26,000 police,
gendarmerie, border police and fire service staff are on stand-by. Security
forces are also present in large numbers in tourist resorts in the mountains
and at the seaside and around churches holding Easter services. According to
the interior ministry, the main objective is protecting people’s lives and
health, including by discouraging behaviour that may spread the Covid pandemic.
More than 30,000 visitors are expected to spend the Labour Day and Easter
holiday on the Black Sea shores. Some 100 hotels opened for this occasion, many
of which are already 70% full, which is the maximum level allowed by the
authorities. Partying on the beach is not permitted, and wearing face masks is
mandatory.

NATO. NATO officially certified
a RAF detachment that arrived at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base in Constanţa
county, in south-eastern Romania, where it will be carrying out air policing
missions alongside the Romanian military. This is the third such mission after
2017 and 2018. Four Eurofighter Typhoon planes will take part in missions over
the next four months together with Romania’s F-16 Fighting Falcon and MIG 21
Lancer aircraft. The main goal of the mission is to develop the response and
deterrence capacity on NATO’s eastern flank.

Eurovision. The Dutch government has confirmed that the Eurovision song contest hosted by Rotterdam will be held in May with a live audience. All participants must comply with strict rules to prevent the spread of the pandemic and only 3,500 people are allowed in the audience. Romania will be represented by Roxen and a song called Amnesia, which will be played in the first semifinal, on 18th May. The second semifinal will be held on 20th May. Romania’s best places in the Eurovision final date from 2005 and 2010, when it finished third, and 2006, when it finished fourth.

Tennis. World no. 3 Simona Halep of Romania on Friday defeated Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in straight sets to reach
the second round of the Madrid WTA
tennis tournament, worth 2.5 million euros in prize money. Two other Romanian
players, however, lost their respective first-round matches: Fresh from winning
the title in Istanbul, world no. 58 Sorana Cirstea failed to get past the
American player Jessica Pegula, world no. 33, while world no. 75 Irina Begu lost
to world no. 37 Daria Kasatkina of Russia’s. (CM)

30 April 2021
April 29, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19RO. 1.850 new cases of
COVID-19 infection were reported on Thursday in Romania after some 35,000 tests
were run across the country, the Strategic Communication Group announced.
Another 138 related fatalities and 1,295 people in intensive care were also
reported. Over 1,050,000 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the
start of the pandemic and 27,971 people have died to the virus. The infection
rate continues to exceed 3 per one thousand inhabitants in the capital city
Bucharest and in Ilfov and Cluj counties, although the numbers are dropping
steadily. On the other hand, the Government’s special committee in charge of
developing relaxation measures starting June 1 convened again to highlight the
need for adapting measures to the specificity of each field of activity.
Representatives of line associations made clear proposals for the organization
of cultural events with the observance of safety regulations. The committee
also discussed the gradual reopening of hotels and restaurants as more and more
people get vaccinated. All proposals will be analyzed by working groups that
will address each specific field. Meanwhile, the authorities are accelerating
the vaccination campaign.

HOLIDAY. Before the May 1st
mini-holiday, which this year coincides with the Orthodox Easter holiday, Prime
Minister Florin Cîţu calls on the population to keep observing anti-coronavirus
sanitary rules, even if Romania is now on a descending slope of the third wave
of the pandemic. He has urged the prefects and the police to take all measures
to ensure compliance with the health rules in place. In the Romanian resorts on
the Black Sea, over 30 thousand tourists are expected during the mini-holiday
of May 1 and Easter. About 100 hotels will be opened, many of them already
occupied at 70% capacity, the maximum allowed by the authorities. Tourists are
not allowed to party on the beach, and wearing a mask is mandatory.

PANDEMIC. The international
community is rallying to support India, a week after that country was hit hard
by the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily record-high numbers of infections and
fatalities and a health system under pressure. The biggest concern is the
so-called Indian strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which spreads rapidly and
could be even more contagious and vaccine and treatment resistant than other
strains, the WHO has warned. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion people,
India has reported 200 thousand deaths and over 18 million infections since the
start of the outbreak. Some experts believe numbers could be even higher. Great
Britain has sent oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment, while the
United States will be shipping 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Romania has joined this international effort and delivered 200 oxygen
concentrators via a Romanian Air Force Spartan aircraft.

SURVEY. Romanians fear the
economic crisis or corruption more than the COVID-19 pandemic or the outbreak
of an armed conflict. It’s one of the findings of the Security Survey published
by the Romanian Academy’s Center for Sociological Research. According to the
survey, 43% of the respondents believe Romania has been a safe country after
its NATO accession, while 37% said they felt safe during the communist period.
As regards public confidence in state institutions, 72% of Romanians put their
trust in the Army, followed by the Church with a 57% share and the Foreign
Ministry with 50%.

NATO. Romania will
withdraw its forces from Afghanistan in coordination with other NATO members,
starting Saturday, May 1. All 615 soldiers and over 80 tons of materials and
logistics elements will be extracted with national and coalition military
aircraft – the Presidential Administration in Bucharest has announced. The
withdrawal will be carried out in stages and will take place over the next few
months. In the anti-terrorist mission in Afghanistan, inaugurated shortly after
the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States, when Bucharest was not
yet a NATO member, 27 Romanian soldiers fell on duty.

RECOVERY PLAN. The leaders of the
center-right ruling coalition in Bucharest have adopted the National Recovery
and Resilience Plan worth 29 billion Euro. The plan will be presented in
Brussels starting May 10, when the final negotiations with European Commission
representatives are due to take place. Prime Minister Florin Cîţu said none of
the proposed projects will be discarded. In turn, Minister for Investment and
European Projects, Cristian Ghinea, said funding for certain investment has
been reduced, while budget appropriations have been readjusted to reflect the
Commission’s recommendations.

UNEMPLOYMENT. The unemployment rate
stood at 5.5% in March, down by 0.2% compared to February, according to a National
Statistics Institute report. The number of unemployed aged 15-74 stood at 464
thousand in March, compared to 478 thousand the previous month. Broken down in
terms of gender, unemployed men account for 5.7%, compared to 5.2% for women.
The number of unemployed aged 24-74 account for 75.1% of the estimated number
of unemployed in March.

US. The United States’
return to the international stage, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
economic recovery plan, as well as firm warnings against Russia and China, were
some of the highlights of US president Joe Biden’s first address to the joint
session of Congress. Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the
nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into possibility. Crisis
into opportunity. Setback into strength, the White House leader said.
According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Washington, Joe Biden also
addressed a message to Russian president Vladimir Putin, insisting that
Russia’s actions will have consequences.

29 April 2021
State of alert extended once again

The government of Romania decided to extend the state of alert in the country by another 30 days, beginning on Tuesday, April 13, to contain and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

In other words, all the measures already known to Romanians remain in place, from mandatory face covering both outdoors and indoors to physical distancing. Indoor restaurants, theatre and cinema halls are also closed.

A night curfew is in place between 10 pm and 5 am. In places with infection rates above 4 per thousand, the curfew begins at 8pm at the weekend, and shops close at 6pm. These measures apply throughout the week in places where the infection rate is above 7.5 per thousand. Gyms are also closed if the Covid infection rate is over 4 per thousand, to be opened when the figure drops below 3.5.

The only concessions made by the authorities have to do with the religious holidays celebrated these days. After Catholic Christians were able to enjoy an almost normal Easter holiday and Jews in Romania were able to attend the Passover ceremonies, Orthodox Christians will also be able to travel without restrictions on Resurrection night, celebrated on 1 May, unlike last year when church attendance was prohibited. Muslim believers were not overlooked either, with the government allowing them to move freely on the night of 8 May when they celebrate the Ramadan.

On the other hand, traditionally 1 May is the start of the holiday season in Romanias Black Sea resorts. Given that for the past year the hospitality industry has suffered severely because of the Covid-19 containment measures, this year the government decided that seaside resorts may open, at a maximum 70% of their accommodation capacity and in full observance of relevant regulations, just as it is the case at present with mountain resorts.

The interior minister Lucian Bode has recently travelled to Constanța, the biggest Romanian city on the Black Sea coast, to warn police and gendarmes that their mission during the Easter and 1 May weekend will be particularly difficult, as lots of tourists will be coming to the seaside. Health is paramount, the minister cautioned, so the police must do everything in their power to ensure restrictions are observed. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

9 April 2021
April 3, 2021 UPDATE

Vaccination. The mass vaccination
campaign is progressing in Romania at a daily rate of 50,000 shots on average.
So far, over 2 million people have been given the vaccine, half of whom have
also received the second dose. Prime minister Florin
Cîţu said Romania is undergoing a selection process at European level to
produce Covid vaccines, with one Romanian company to be assessed by the
operative group of the European Commission for the vaccine development stage.
Romania is represented by 9 companies and two institutes in the European
Commission’s working group to boost production of Covid vaccines. In another
development, Romania has updated its list of high-risk countries, with
travellers from these countries to go into isolation on arrival in this country
for two weeks. The list includes countries such as Bulgaria, Italy, France,
Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey, the
Republic of Moldova and Poland, as well as Brazil and South Africa, where two
more contagious variants of the virus were identified.

Coronavirus Romania. Almost 5,500 new
coronavirus cases were reported on Saturday in Romania, most of them in
Bucharest, as well as 154 new related fatalities. Almost 1,500 Covid patients
are in intensive care, with ICU admissions on the rise in recent days. Almost 1
million people have had the virus in Romania and almost 24,000 have died.
Bucharest has an incidence rate of a little over 7 cases in 1,000 people
tested, but the surrounding Ilfov county has the highest infection rate in
Romania with 9.25 cases in 1,000 residents. In areas with an incidence rate of
over 4, movement outside the home is allowed at the weekend only until 8 pm,
unlike 10 pm during weekdays, and shops close at 6 pm. These measures are
reviewed when the incidence rate hits 7.5.

Coronavirus world. Almost one in seven people who
tested positive for Covid in the UK have continued to show symptoms of the
so-called long Covid, such as tiredness and muscle pain, three months after
contamination, according to UK’s Office for National Statistics. This was found
to be affecting women more, namely 14.7% compared with 12.7% in men. Self-reported long Covid was more prevalent
in people aged 35 to 69 years, women, health and social care workers, those
living in deprived areas and those with a pre-existing health condition. The
World Health Organisation in the meantime is criticising the slow pace of
vaccination in Europe, where new cases have grown significantly in the last
five weeks. Health experts say vaccination and restrictions are the main
solutions to contain the spread of the new variants, which are more contagious
and have become dominant in countries like France, Spain and Germany.

Easter. Roman-Catholic and
Protestant Christians from around the world, Romania included, are celebrating
Easter on Sunday, one month earlier than their Orthodox counterparts. This is
the second year that Pope Francis will hold mass amid restrictions, owing to
the coronavirus pandemic. In his Good Friday service at the Vatican, the pope
commemorated Christ’s suffering and crucifixion. Churches are still open in
Italy, despite the country going into lockdown, but people can only travel as
far as the nearest church. Night-time travel restrictions were also lifted in
Romania on Saturday night, until 2 am, so that the faithful could attend mass. In
a video post, president Klaus Iohannis wished happy holidays to those who
celebrate Easter on Sunday and said he hoped we would together overcome these
difficult times caused by the Covid pandemic.

Handball. CSM
Bucharest defeated CSKA Moscow 32-27 on Saturday in Bucharest in the first leg
of the women’s handball Champions League quarterfinals. The second leg will
take place next Sunday in Moscow. The winner will qualify for the Final Four
tournament in Budapest, to be held on 29th and 30th May. (CM)

3 April 2021
April 3, 2021

Vaccination. The mass vaccination
campaign is progressing in Romania at a daily rate of 50,000 shots on average.
So far, over 2 million people have been given the vaccine, half of whom have
also received the second dose. Prime minister Florin
Cîţu said Romania is undergoing a selection process at European level to
produce Covid vaccines, with one Romanian company to be assessed by the
operative group of the European Commission for the vaccine development stage.
Romania is represented by 9 companies and two institutes in the European
Commission’s working group to boost production of Covid vaccines. In another
development, Romania has updated its list of high-risk countries, with
travellers from these countries to go into isolation on arrival in this country
for two weeks. The list includes countries such as Bulgaria, Italy, France,
Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey, the
Republic of Moldova and Poland, as well as Brazil and South Africa, where two
more contagious variants of the virus were identified.

Coronavirus Romania. Almost 5,500 new
coronavirus cases were reported on Saturday in Romania, most of them in
Bucharest, as well as 154 new related fatalities. Almost 1,500 Covid patients
are in intensive care, with ICU admissions on the rise in recent days. Almost 1
million people have had the virus in Romania and almost 24,000 have died.
Bucharest has an incidence rate of a little over 7 cases in 1,000 people
tested, but the surrounding Ilfov county has the highest infection rate in
Romania with 9.25 cases in 1,000 residents. In areas with an incidence rate of
over 4, movement outside the home is allowed at the weekend only until 8 pm,
unlike 10 pm during weekdays, and shops close at 6 pm. These measures are
reviewed when the incidence rate hits 7.5.

Coronavirus world. Almost one in seven people who
tested positive for Covid in the UK have continued to show symptoms of the
so-called long Covid, such as tiredness and muscle pain, three months after
contamination, according to UK’s Office for National Statistics. This was found
to be affecting women more, namely 14.7% compared with 12.7% in men. Self-reported long Covid was more prevalent
in people aged 35 to 69 years, women, health and social care workers, those
living in deprived areas and those with a pre-existing health condition. The
World Health Organisation in the meantime is criticising the slow pace of
vaccination in Europe, where new cases have grown significantly in the last
five weeks. Health experts say vaccination and restrictions are the main
solutions to contain the spread of the new variants, which are more contagious
and have become dominant in countries like France, Spain and Germany.

Easter. Roman-Catholic and
Protestant Christians from around the world, Romania included, are celebrating
Easter on Sunday, one month earlier than their Orthodox counterparts. This is
the second year that Pope Francis will hold mass amid restrictions, owing to
the coronavirus pandemic. In his Good Friday service at the Vatican, the pope
commemorated Christ’s suffering and crucifixion. Churches are still open in
Italy, despite the country going into lockdown, but people can only travel as
far as the nearest church. Night-time travel restrictions were also lifted in
Romania tonight until 2 am so that the faithful can attend Easter mass.

Gendarmerie. The Romanian Gendermerie is celebrating its 1anniversary, having
been established by ruler Grigore Alexandru Ghica 171 years ago. It is subordinated to the interior ministry and is
responsible for maintaining and restoring public order and public security, the
transport and security of assets, goods and hazardous materials and for
ensuring the security of important sites. Romanian gendarmerie forces also took
part in missions and operations abroad to help maintain peace and security and
in the management of crisis situations.

Tourism. The number of foreign
visitors to Bucharest in February this year dropped by 61% compared with last
year in February, the last normal month of tourism before the coronavirus
pandemic. 59% less Romanians travelled abroad. Tourist accommodation facilities
recorded a drop of 31% in February, with 96% of visitors being Romanians and 4%
from abroad. (CM)

3 April 2021
April 2, 2021 UPDATE

VACCINE Romania’s vaccine rollout is in full swing at a rate of over 50,000 doses per day. So far over 2 million people have been vaccinated, and half of them have also got the booster dose. President Klaus Iohannis has announced that in the following period Romania will receive a significant amount of vaccine and the rollout can be stepped up. The head of the Romanian state has urged citizens to trust the benefits of immunization. In turn, the National Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca announced that 15 new vaccination centers are to become available as of April 5th. On Friday Romania registered a new all-time high in the number of patients in intensive care (1,454). Over 5,800 new infections have been reported at national level and 146 related fatalities. Roughly one million Romanians have been infected since the onset of the pandemic and the death toll stands at 24,000. A curfew between 8 pm and 5 am is in force over the weekend in the regions with an infection rate above 4 per thousand, with shops to be closed at 6 pm. At a rate above 7.5 cases per thousand, these measures are applied throughout the week, not only at weekends.

PANDEMIC The World Health Organisation has criticized the sluggish pace of Europe’s vaccine rollout, also mentioning the latest surge in coronavirus infections. The statement was made by the WHO European branch several days ahead of the Catholic Easter. Immunization and restrictions remain the main solutions to contain the spread of the more contagious variants, which have become dominant in countries like France, Spain or Germany. On Thursday, authorities in Berlin reported over 24 thousand new cases and over 200 Covid-related fatalities. In Spain, which has a major community of Romanians, the infection rate exceeded 150 cases per one hundred thousand people and in some regions indoor bars and restaurants have been closed. Travel restrictions have been imposed these days when Spain is celebrating the Holy Week without street events for the second year in a row. In Greece, where the number of active cases and infections isn’t going down, authorities have decided to open shops under very strict medical protocols after six weeks of lockdown. According to worldometers.info, over 130 million people have been infected with the novel coronavirus and 2.8 million have died since the beginning of the pandemic.

EASTER Roman-Catholic and protestant believers the world over, including from Romania, are celebrating the most important Christian holiday, the Lord’s Resurrection, on April 4th, a month before the Orthodox believers. This is for the second year when Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic believers from all over the world, will deliver a mass in front of a lower number of participants because of the pandemic. On Good Friday, Pope Francis commemorated Christ’s passions and crucifixion. In spite of the lockdown in Italy, churches are open and citizens can attend religious services close to their homes, however they have to fill in a form stating their reasons to travel. In Romania on Saturday night the curfew has been lifted between 10 pm and 2 am, so that believers may attend the Easter Mass.

FRIGATE ‘Regina Maria’ Frigate moored in the military port of Constanţa (south-eastern Romania) after completing its participation in the missions of SNMG-2 (Standing NATO Maritime Group 2), in the Black Sea. The vessel, equipped with a Puma Naval helicopter and having a unit of combat divers on board, took part in naval, air and anti-submarine surveillance and medical evacuation missions, jointly with 4 other combat ships from Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Turkey. NATOs standing naval presence in the Black Sea contributes to enhancing the Allies collective defence capabilities in the region, reads a news release issued by the Romanian Naval Forces Command. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

2 April 2021
Easter traditions of the Romanian Orthodox Christians

Easter is the biggest celebration of the Eastern Christian world. The last week of the Lent also known as the Holy Week begins after Palm Sunday and culminates with Good Friday, with Easter or the Resurrection of Christ being celebrated on Sunday. Next ethnologist Florin-Ionuţ Filip Neacşu will tell us more about the significance of Easter celebrations for the Romanian Orthodox Christians.

Florin-Ionuţ Filip Neacşu: “Easter is Romanians’ biggest religious celebration and generally the biggest celebration of the Eastern Christians. As compared to the western Christian world where Christmas is considered a more important celebration, the Eastern Christian countries such as Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Greece as well as countries like Syria, Palestine and Egypt give Easter a greater significance. In the Romanian space, starting with the first centuries A.D., the apostles’ disciples reached as far as Dobrogea and other parts of the territory of present day Romania, Easter becoming an important celebration ever since. According to studies by Romanian ethnographers and historians, it seems that Easter coincided with certain spring celebrations marked by the Getae-Dacian and Thracian populations. The essence of Christianity is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, therefore Easter is the greatest celebration for Christians in eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Since 1925, when the Romanian Orthodox Church had a patriarch of its own, the Easter Mass has been held at midnight, when the people gathered in churches used to receive lighted candles.”

The main occupations in the Romanian households during this period are egg painting and decorating and preparing traditional Easter dishes. Maramures (a historical region in the north of the country) is one of the most conservative regions in terms of Easter customs and traditions.

Delia Suiogan, an ethnologist with the North University in Baia Mare, will tell us next how the people of Maramures mark the Holy Week that precedes the Easter celebration: “On Monday, the first day of the Holy Week, people take their clothes outside and leave them in the sun, because all clothes need to be renewed, as legend has it that the Sun has purifying powers. The first 3 days of the Holy Week are devoted to cleaning the house, whitewashing the walls, and mending broken floors. Also on Maundy Thursday, people start preparing the meal for the great feast on Easter Day. On Good Friday, women are forbidden to knead dough and bake, therefore they have to prepare the meal on Thursday. Eggs are painted red also on Thursday, when people get ready to give alms to the poor. On that day, people remember the dead, while making efforts to come to terms with everyone they know. Good Friday, also known in the Romanian tradition as the Black or Dry Friday, is a day for rest. It is a day for meditation, when people do not eat the whole day, in a symbolic gesture of assuming the collective sin of contributing to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. On Saturday, people resume house chores, and continue to prepare the meal for the Easter Sunday feast. The old lady in each household kneads the dough and prepares the sweet cheese pie traditionally called ‘Pasca’ in Romanian. Pasca is a mixture of leavened dough and cheese. Pasca symbolically makes a transfer of power from the vegetal and animal world to the human world. The killing of the lamb on Saturday represents an act of assuming the sacrifice of the Redeemer.”

In the Romanian folk tradition, on the occasion of important celebrations, the food that people put on the table needs to have been previously blessed in church. The Easter basket was therefore a form of blessing of all the foodstuffs that people would eat at the festive Easter lunch.

Ethnologist Florin-Ionuţ Filip Neacşu is back at the microphone with more: “In all the regions of Romania people take some of the food prepared for the Easter Sunday feast to church, to be blessed by the priest. They take painted eggs to church to be blessed, eggs painted in red and, more recently, in other colors, which symbolize life and rebirth. This is another tradition taken over from the times of yore, which can be traced back to both the Celts and the Thracians. From an etymological point of view the Romanian ‘Paste’ means Passover in Hebrew, and the word was taken over by Christians to symbolize the passage into the light, through Resurrection. In Bukovina, Bessarabia and Moldavia, as well as in the eastern part of Transylvania, people prepare ‘pasca’, a currant sweet cheese pie with a piece of cross-shaped dough on top, besides pound cake and other dishes specific to Easter such as lamb offal roulade. In central and western Transylvania as well as in Banat, people make special round-shaped breads called ‘Paste’, which are blessed in the church and offered to the believers.”

Maramures boasts a specific tradition which has not been so well preserved in other regions of Romania, namely the blessing of the ‘Paste’ and of the Easter meal. The people of Maramures continue the fasting period until Saturday at midnight. They start eating meat only on Sunday morning, after they bring from church the baskets with traditional food. The blessing of the basket represents a ritual per se. Just image the spectacular view of lots of people staying in line in front of the church, waiting for their baskets, full of traditional food, covered with beautifully decorated towels, to be blessed by the priest. (tr. L. Simion)

19 April 2020
April 19, 2020

EASTER Orthodox believers, who are a majority in Romania, and
Greek-Catholics are today celebrating Easter or the Resurrection of Jesus
Christ our Lord. The Christianity’s greatest event has this year been
celebrated in empty churches as believers were prevented from attending
religious services in order to observe social distancing rules imposed by the
Covid pandemic. All the believers watched live transmissions on various media
channels instead. The Holy light was brought on Saturday from Jerusalem after a
special religious service, which was not attended by thousands of pilgrims like
it used to in the past years. In his message to believers on this occasion,
Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, says the resurrection of
Christ is for us a source of spiritual power to fight the disease, the fear of
death and suffering.

MESSAGES The US ambassador to Romania, Adrian
Zuckerman on Sunday conveyed a message on his behalf and on president Trump’s
to the Romanians wishing them Happy Easter. In his Easter address to the
Romanians, Prince Charles, heir of the British crown, expressed his wish to get
back to Romania as soon as the pandemic is over and to meet members of the
Romanian community in Britain. Prince Charles has also evoked the indispensable
role many Romanians are playing in the British national health service, in its
care homes and in other key roles as we address this unprecedented crisis. We owe them an immense debt of gratitude and I can hardly say
how much their remarkable efforts are appreciated by us all, Prince Charles
went on to say. In his Easter address yesterday, Romanian President Klaus
Iohannis underlined the Resurrection of Christ is a celebration of hope in a
season of rebirth. The head of the Romanian state urged the Romanians to
express their love for the others by respecting the social distancing rules.
Similar messages have been conveyed by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and the
Senate interim president, Social-Democrat, Robert Cazanciuc and also by other
Romanian politicians.

TOLL The death toll of the pandemic in Romania reached 434, while 87
hundred infections have been confirmed. 19 hundred people have been cured and
left hospitals. Over 1000 medical workers have tested positive for the virus,
most of them in Suceava, northern Romania and in Bucharest. 60 Romanian
nationals infected with the virus died abroad. 730 Romanians have been infected
abroad, most of them in Italy and Spain.

PANDEMIC The official number of COVID infections
worldwide has exceeded 2.3 million, while the death toll stands at 160
thousand, most of them, over 100 thousand, in Europe. The USA has so far
reported 39 thousand fatalities and over 730 thousand infections confirmed. The
US authorities are starting to gradually resume economic activities against the
background of demonstrations for ending the quarantine, our correspondent in
Washington has announced. The most affected European countries are Italy and
Spain. Russia has reported a record number of infections, 6,000 in the past 24
hours, the total number exceeding 42 thousand.

QUAKE An earthquake of 3.4 Richter was felt today in the seismic region
of Vrancea in south-eastern Romania, the National Institute for Earth Physics
has today announced. 22 such small earthquakes have been reported in the area
since the beginning of the month. The most powerful, a 5.2 quake was felt in
Bucharest as well. On March 4th, 1977 a 7.2 earthquake, the most
powerful to have hit Romania, killed 1570 people mostly in capital Bucharest
causing 2 billion euros in material damage.

(translated by bill)

19 April 2020
April 18, 2020 UPDATE

COVID-19 The number of deaths from coronavirus infections reported in Romania exceeds 420, out of a total of 8,400 confirmed cases. Over 1,000 healthcare personnel tested positive for the Covid-19 so far, most of them in Suceava (north-east) and in Bucharest. Around 1,700 people recovered and have been discharged from hospitals.PM Ludovic Orban said that according to estimates the pandemic will peak between May 1st and 5th in Romania, and once again urged citizens not to leave their homes except for emergencies.

MEASURES The Resurrection of Christ is a celebration of hope in a season of rebirth, says the President of Romania in his Easter message, released on Saturday. He emphasises that unfortunately, this year Easter finds us in a situation that forces us to find the blessing and light of Easter within ourselves and our homes. Together, with devotion, love and faith, we will overcome this difficult challenge that mankind is facing, Klaus Iohannis adds. He urges Romanians to embrace the sacrifice of expressing their love to their beloved ones by complying with social distancing rules. Previously, Iohannis had called on citizens to avoid visits on Easter. He emphasised that Romania has not yet seen a peak of this epidemic, and that the only reasonable thing to do now is to stay away from our dear ones. The President also urged authorities to remain on alert. In a video message, PM Ludovic Orban in turn voiced his hope that the Easter symbols of love and sacrifice will give us the strength to be reborn together. Over 36,000 police, gendarme, fire-fighters, border police and other Interior Ministry and Defence Ministry staff are working during Easter to ensure compliance with the military orders, to prevent and curb crime and to step in in case of emergencies.

EASTER The Orthodox majority in Romania, as well as the Greek Catholic Christians Sunday celebrate Easter or the Resurrection of Christ. This year believers will not be able to attend the Easter Mass, because of the measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, but they will be able to watch the midnight service on the media. The Easter light was brought from Jerusalem in a ceremony held in special conditions, without the thousands of pilgrims that used to attend this service in the past. Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church wishes all Romanians, on this occasion, health and pace, joy and hope. “Our faith in the Resurrection helps us not to lose hope in the face of adversity, but to ask for Christs help with even more fervour, the Patriarch said in his Easter homily.

AID The Romanian Foreign Ministry welcomed on Saturday the announcement made by the US on April 16 regarding an 800,000 USD support package for Romania in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Foreign Ministry, the decision is further proof of the strength of the bilateral Strategic Partnership, at a time of global crisis. According to the same source, with support from the US Romania received a RT-PCR testing unit provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and has used NATO aircraft to bring emergency medical supplies into the country.

FINANCIAL Fitch financial rating agency revised Romanias rating outlook from stable to negative, against the background of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on public finances in the coming period, the Ministry for Public Finances announced. The agency said the revision was necessary, given the poor fiscal management in previous years. The Finance Minister Florin Cîţu said in the forthcoming period the ministry will focus on implementing tax and budget measures aimed at mitigating the negative effects of the pandemic and on measures to revitalise the Romanian economy. The main elements able to help improve the country rating are stabilising the share of public debt in the GDP in the medium run, and sustainable improvement of the foreign debt level.

PANDEMIC The official number of novel coronavirus infections in the world is over 2.2 million, with the death toll standing at nearly 155,000. The largest number of victims is reported in the US and Europe. The WHO estimated that, just like China, which announced another 1,290 deaths on Friday in Wuhan, many countries will have to update their death figures for the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the WHO, an accurate reporting of the number of cases and deaths is rather complicated given a number of factors, such as the isolation of patients who die at home alone and difficult bureaucratic procedures.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

18 April 2020
April 18, 2020

COVID-19 The number of deaths from coronavirus infections reported in Romania exceeds 400, out of a total of 8,400 confirmed cases. Over 1,000 healthcare personnel tested positive for the Covid-19 so far, most of them in Suceava (north-east) and in Bucharest. Around 1,700 people recovered and have been discharged from hospitals. More than 60 Romanian nationals living abroad died so far from this disease. PM Ludovic Orban said that according to estimates the pandemic will peak between May 1st and 5th in Romania, and once again urged citizens not to leave their homes except for emergencies.

MEASURES The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has once again called on citizens to comply with social distancing measures on Easter. He emphasised that Romania has not yet seen a peak of this epidemic, and that the only reasonable thing to do now is to stay away from our dear ones. The President also urged authorities to remain on alert. Over 36,000 police, gendarme, fire-fighters, border police and other Interior Ministry and Defence Ministry staff are working during Easter to ensure compliance with the military orders, to prevent and curb crime and to step in in case of emergencies.

EASTER For the Orthodox majority in Romania, as well as for Greek Catholic Christians, today is Holy Saturday, the day before the Resurrection of Christ. This year believers will not be able to attend the Easter Mass, because of the measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, but they will be able to watch the midnight service on the media. The Easter light will be brought from Jerusalem in a ceremony held in special conditions, without the thousands of pilgrims that used to attend this service in the past. Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church wishes all Romanians, on this occasion, health and pace, joy and hope. “Our faith in the Resurrection helps us not to lose hope in the face of adversity, but to ask for Christs help with even more fervour, the Patriarch said in his Easter homily.

FINANCIAL Fitch financial rating agency revised Romanias rating outlook from stable to negative, against the background of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on public finances in the coming period, the Ministry for Public Finances announced. The agency said the revision was necessary, given the poor fiscal management in previous years. The Finance Minister Florin Cîţu said in the forthcoming period the ministry will focus on implementing tax and budget measures aimed at mitigating the negative effects of the pandemic and on measures to revitalise the Romanian economy. The main elements able to help improve the country rating are stabilising the share of public debt in the GDP in the medium run, and sustainable improvement of the foreign debt level.

SME In Romania, a support programme for small and medium enterprises has been initiated. SMEs will benefit from loans without interest and banking fees, which will be covered by the government. The funds earmarked for the programme total 3.1 billion euros, for working capital and investments, and will be granted not only to companies affected by the corona crisis, but to all interested SMEs. The facility is aimed at revitalising the Romanian economy, supporting around 600,000 jobs in a first stage.

EU The European Parliament, convening in a special online session, approved 3 billion euros worth of emergency support for the healthcare sector. The money will be used for the procurement of emergency medical supplies, the transport of medical equipment and patients and support for the construction of field hospitals. Another measure approved on this occasion has to do with the transfer of funds and 100% European funding for containing the corona pandemic. Member states will thus be able to transfer money between various funds in order to meet emergency healthcare needs. MEPs also endorsed other measures to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the EU fisheries sector, which is heavily affected by the spread of the COVID-19.

PANDEMIC The official number of novel coronavirus infections in the world is over 2.2 million, with the death toll standing at nearly 155,000. The largest number of victims is reported in the US and Europe. The WHO estimated that, just like China, which announced another 1,290 deaths on Friday in Wuhan, many countries will have to update their death figures for the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the WHO, an accurate reporting of the number of cases and deaths is rather complicated given a number of factors, such as the isolation of patients who die at home alone and difficult bureaucratic procedures.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

18 April 2020
April 16, 2020

COVID-19 The Parliament of Romania convenes today in an online meeting to discuss and vote on the presidential order extending the state of emergency by another 30 days. MPs yesterday tabled a number of recommendations and suggestions to be forwarded to the President and the Government. Among other things, they request the Government to present a weekly report on the measures to contain the COVID-19 epidemic and the arguments for taking these measures. They also want the Government to come up with a full report on all measures taken and their consequences, within 30 days after the end of the state of emergency, and the Court of Accounts to conduct verifications into the spending of public resources within 60 days since the end of the state of emergency. The death toll of the coronavirus epidemic in Romania has reached 387, out of a total of 7,700 cases. According to the authorities, 1357 people have so far recovered. As for the Romanians living abroad, 718 have so far tested positive for the COVID-19, most of them in Italy. As many as 55 Romanian nationals living abroad died since the start of the pandemic.

EASTER An agreement between the Romanian Interior Ministry and the Orthodox Church, which allowed believers to go out and had police distributing lit candles on Easter night, was altered further to heavy criticism from the Presidency and the healthcare community. People will not be allowed to attend religious services even outside churches, as instructed by the military orders issued so far. Easter bread and light will be delivered, at the request of believers, by priests and church volunteers. President Klaus Iohannis asked for strict compliance with the current military orders and with social distancing measures. He warned that otherwise the situation may worsen significantly after Easter. Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians mark Maundy Thursday today, commemorating the Last Supper and the events taking place before Christs arrest and crucifixion. This year the measures designed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic do not allow believers to attend the Easter mass, but they can watch live broadcasts of religious services on the TV, internet or listen to them on the radio.

NATO The Romanian Defence Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, took part on Wednesday in a meeting of the North-Atlantic Council defence ministers, convened by the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. The meeting, held by conference call, focused on the implications of the COVID-19 for the Alliance. Minister Ciucă presented the efforts made to contain the virus in Romania, with support granted by the Army to the national authorities. Nicolae Ciucă also reiterated Romanias commitment to a continuing participation in NATOs operations, missions and activities, where Allied troops are facing not only specific threats in theatres of operations, but also ones related to the spread of the coronavirus, and in this context he requested close monitoring of the situation by the Alliance. The NATO defence ministers decided to put together a pandemic response plan, based on the lessons derived from the experience and best practices of the Allied states and international organisations in the context of the current crisis.

PANDEMIC The European Parliament convenes in a special session today to discuss a joint response of EU member states to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, dpa reports. MEPs are to endorse a resolution requesting better protection of EU citizens in the current crisis, stronger support for the healthcare systems of member states and a unified strategy for lifting containment measures. Yesterday, the European Commission made public a roadmap for member states, recommending the coordinated and phased lifting of restrictions, extensive testing of citizens and the replacement of the state of emergency with targeted interventions. The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, estimated on Wednesday that a safe and effective vaccine against the coronavirus may be the only instrument allowing for a return to a sense of normalcy, and voiced hope that one will be ready by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases around the world has exceeded 2 million, with the death toll standing at 136,000. In the US, the new epicentre of the pandemic, 637,000 cases and over 30,000 deaths have been reported, the largest figures in the world. In Europe, the worst hit countries remain Italy, Spain, France and the UK. On the other hand, the IMF warns that for the first time in 60 years Asia will not be able to report economic growth.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

16 April 2020