Radio România Internațional

Tag: fire

  • August 4, 2021 UPDATE

    August 4, 2021 UPDATE

    Covid-19 Romania ▪ The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday stated that the COVID-19 pandemic could not be defeated by discrimination, by restrictive measures, but through vaccination, by raising public awareness, because immunization inhibits the development of the disease. According to Klaus Iohannis, the drop in the number of SARS-CoV-2 cases was possible due to vaccination, and Romanians must understand that, unless they continue to get vaccinated, there is a risk of a fourth pandemic wave, as it has already happened in other European states. In another move, the Education Minister, Sorin Câmpeanu, has stated that school will start on September 13 with pupils physically attending classes. He ruled out mandatory vaccination for the education staff, but encouraged them to get vaccinated. Minister Câmpeanu has stated that, this month, information campaigns on the importance of vaccination for the education staff will be run again, to help increase the level of immunization by the start of the new school year. The number of new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in 24 hours continues to rise. 271 new cases were reported on Wednesday in Romania, out of almost 30 thousand tests. The number of coronavirus patients in hospitals continues to increase. Of the 456 hospitalized people, 67 are in intensive care.



    Recovery ▪ Portugal, Luxembourg and Belgium are the first states to receive money under the National Recovery and Resilience Plans. This is a down-payment for amounts promised under the EUs post-pandemic recovery fund, totaling 800 billion Euros. According to a statement, this month, the European Commission will make payments to other member countries as well. All states, except the Netherlands and Bulgaria, have submitted their recovery plans to the European Commission for approval. Romania has not yet received the green light to benefit from the European money. Recently, the German publication Die Welt has written that Romanias plan is regarded with skepticism, and the Commission will decide on it by the end of September. The Romanian Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has stated, though, that 95% of the Plan was negotiated with the European Union.



    Fire ▪ New vegetation fires are breaking out in the north of the Mediterranean, despite the efforts made by firefighters, who have been battling the flames for more than a week. Greece, Turkey, Albania, Bulgaria and Italy are on the list of countries where fire has so far destroyed thousands of hectares of forest and vegetation. Hundreds of people have been evacuated almost daily. In Turkey, where 8 people have been killed by the fire, emergency services have managed to contain hundreds of fires, but new outbreaks are caused by the hot wind. In Greece, the fire reached a neighborhood on the outskirts of Athens, destroying many houses. The country is facing the worst heat wave in decades. The EU has sent planes, helicopters and firefighters to help these countries fight the fires.



    Moldova ▪ In the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), the future pro-European government is to be invested, on Friday, by the Parliament dominated by the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), founded by President Maia Sandu. Last week, she nominated Natalia Gavriliţă for the position of prime minister, after being proposed by PAS, which, with 63 out of 101 deputy seats, has a comfortable majority in the Moldovan Parliament. The new Cabinet will have 13 ministries. Its immediate priorities include the efficient management of the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the reform of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, the increase of the populations income and the resumption of external financing.



    Attack ▪ The representatives of Great Britain, Romania and Liberia have informed the UN Security Council that it is “very likely” that the Iranian forces have used one or more drones to carry out a deadly attack on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman last week. “This act must be condemned by the international community,” the representatives of the three countries said in a letter to the council, which was obtained by Reuters. On Wednesday, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States reiterated the “deliberate nature” of the attack on the Mercer Street ship, attributed to the Islamic Republic of Iran on the basis of available information, and warned that the incident was a “clear violation of international law.” The permanent missions of the three countries to NATO have agreed on a joint approach at NATO level, in this case. Two crew members, a Romanian and a Briton, died in the July 29 attack. The EU and NATO have strongly condemned the drone attack off the coast of Oman on an Israeli-operated oil tanker, and Washington has promised a “collective response” along with its allies against Iran. Also Wednesday, Israel accused that the head of the drone command of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the commander of the air force is behind the attack, according to the daily Haaretz, quoted by Agerpres. (LS)

  • July 13, 2021 UPDATE

    July 13, 2021 UPDATE

    Europe. A Union of the future
    is, in Romania’s view, a project indissolubly linked to the idea of European
    unity and solidarity in everyone’s interest, a project in which we should be
    concerned about the well-being of all member states and European citizens, said
    president Klaus Iohannis at the official launch of a national debate on
    Europe’s future. He added that the undeniable value of these principles was
    reconfirmed by the recent crisis. If European citizens today have access to
    vaccines, if European economies are about to be relaunched – then these things
    are possible especially thanks to our shared capacity and of the entire Union to
    mobilise itself and respond efficiently to an unprecedented crisis in the
    history of the European project, the Romanian president also said. The launch
    of the debate was also attended by the European Commissioner for Transport
    Adina Vălean. The Conference on the Future of Europe was launched in
    Strasbourg on 9th May and debates on this subject will be held
    throughout the year and in the first half of next year, with a view to providing
    new guidelines on the future of the European Union.




    Fire. One of
    the two patients with severe burns flown to Germany after a fire at Petromidia
    refinery in south-eastern Romania has died, although his condition had been
    stable during hospitalisation, transport and treatment, Kaz Munai Gas, the
    company owing the refinery, said in a statement. The other patient is now
    stable and is responding to treatment, the statement also reads. Earlier this
    month, after an explosion followed by a fire at Petromidia refinery, a person
    died and five were wounded, two of whom were flown to Germany. Prosecutors have
    started a criminal investigation into the accident.




    Covid-19. A quarter of Romanians are vaccinated
    against Covid-19, and the authorities are looking for ways to give a new
    impetus to the mass vaccination campaign. Experts say all available vaccines
    provide significant protection, including against the more transmissible Delta
    variant which has already led to an increase in new infections in several
    countries.






    Moldova. The result of the early parliamentary elections in the Republic
    of Moldova should be a starting point from which the new government should
    accelerate genuine and ambitious reforms, said David McAllister, the head of
    the European Parliament delegation who observed the elections. He also said
    that the population of the Republic of Moldova gave a clear, strong and
    impressive mandate to the Action and Solidarity Party to start implementing the
    ambitious agenda of president Maia Sandu. The European Union is looking forward
    to working with this new strong and stable government and with the new
    parliament to solve the challenges facing the country,     McAllister also
    said. Romania, too, welcomed the result of the elections in Moldova as a
    victory of democracy and promised to support Moldova on its path to European
    integration. The Action and Solidarity Party won almost 53% of the votes in
    Sunday’s elections and has a comfortable majority in Parliament.




    Tennis. Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan,
    ranked 98th in the world, reached the second round of the WTA 250
    tournament in Budapest, worth some 235,000 dollars in prize money, as she
    defeated American player Varvara Lepchenko in two sets. Bogdan is seeded fifth
    and will next face Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova. Also on Tuesday, Romania’s Jaqueline
    Cristian, who is no. 153 in the world, lost to Serbia’s Ivana Jorovic. On
    Monday in the first round, another Romanian player, Irina Bara, world no. 119,
    defeated Italy’s Sarra Erani in three sets, while 4th seed Irina
    Begu, world no. 71, lost to Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. (CM)



  • June 17, 2021

    June 17, 2021

    PRESIDENCY The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis carries on his official visit to Estonia. Today he has meetings scheduled with PM Kaja Kallas and with the Estonian parliament speaker Jüri Ratas. The Romanian president will also lay flowers at the Independence War Memorial and will visit the Tallin City Hall, the e-Estonia Centre and the Unicorn Squad robotics school. On Wednesday Klaus Iohannis had talks with his counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid. After the talks, Iohannis announced having invited Estonia to take part in the Euro-Atlantic Centre for Resilience in Bucharest. Romania and Estonia share views and interests at EU level, which facilitates the close cooperation between our countries in relation to the current agenda and future priorities of the EU, Iohannis said. He also added that the talks tackled means to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the digital sector, in cyber security and AI, given Estonia’s experience in the field and the fact that Romania is hosting the EU’s new cyber centre.



    COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced on Wednesday 104 new SARS-CoV-2 cases for the past 24 hours, out of over 30,000 tests. Close to 1,000 people are hospitalised, with 192 patients currently in intensive care. Another 71 COVID-related deaths have also been reported, but only 18 of them occurred in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the vaccine roll-out continues, although the pace is considerably slower than in previous months. As many as 4.6 million Romanians have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and over 4.2 million of them have received both doses. A new batch of 48,000 doses of Johnson&Johnson vaccine reaches the country today.



    COLECTIV The Bucharest Court of Appeals set the next hearing in the Colectiv trial on September 22. Earlier this week, the case was split, but judges reconsidered the decision and re-joined the proceedings. This autumn, 3 judges will decide whether to change the charges against some of the defendants, including the former Bucharest sector 4 mayor, from abuse of office to criminal negligence. The December 2019 ruling of the court of first instance in this case has been appealed. The original sentences ranged between 8 and 12 years behind bars and damages of over 50 million euros for the victims of the fire in the Colectiv nightclub. The fire of 30 October 2015, which killed 64 people and injured another 200, led to street protests, the resignation of the PM and of the Sector 4 mayor.



    TALKS The US president Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had talks in Geneva on Wednesday, in a 4-hour summit. The US-Russia relation must be stable and predictable, president Biden said in a separate press conference after the summit. In turn, the Russian president agreed with Biden to begin talks on strategic stability. The 2 presidents jointly committed to the principle that a nuclear war cannot have winners and must never be started. The same principle had been agreed by the USSR and US leaders in a 1985 meeting in Geneva.



    EU The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, is on a diplomatic tour which covers today Denmark and Greece, for talks on these countries plans for spending the EU funds for post-COVID-19 recovery. On Wednesday the Commission approved the first national reform and investment plans, submitted by Portugal and Spain. On Friday the EU official will travel to Luxembourg.



    ECONOMY Bucharest approved a memorandum allowing the sale of Romanias stake in the Krivoi Rog steel works in Ukraine, started in the ‘80s by several Eastern European socialist countries. Romanias contribution at the time was around 1 billion US dollars, but the project was halted after the collapse of the communist system and the plant is now in ruins. The only participants left in the project are Ukraine, Romania and Slovakia, and Romania pays around 1 million euros per year for conservation and security.



    FOOTBALL Bucharest is hosting tonight another EURO 2020 football match, pitting Ukraine against North Macedonia in Group C. Also today, in Group B, Denmark takes on Belgium, and in Group C the Netherlands plays against Austria. Italy is the first team to qualify in the eight-finals, after defeating Switzerland 3-0, in Rome, in Group A. In the other match of the group, Wales beat Turkey 2-0 in Baku. Also on Wednesday, Finland was defeated by Russia 0-1, in St Petersburg, in Group E. It is for the first time ever that Bucharest hosts European championship final tournament matches, and also for the first time that 2 Romanian referee teams are taking part. However, the national team performed poorly in the qualifiers and failed to take part in this years European competition. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • June 15, 2021

    June 15, 2021

    VISIT The
    president of Romania Klaus Iohannis will be on an official visit to Estonia on
    Wednesday and Thursday, the Presidency announced. Iohannis will have talks with
    his Estonian counterpart, Kersti Kaljulaid, with PM Kaja Kallas, and with the
    Parliament speaker, Jüri Ratas. The agenda focuses on strengthening the
    bilateral relations, including economic and sectoral cooperation, with an
    emphasis on the digital sector, on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and on
    EU-related topics, such as the EU Recovery Plan, the green transition and the
    digital transition, the EU enlargement process, and developments in the
    Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. The officials will also discuss the
    Romanian-Estonian cooperation within NATO, including in terms of security at
    the Black Sea and Baltic Sea, and cooperation as part of the Bucharest 9 and
    the Three Seas initiatives.



    COVID-19 Authorities reported on Tuesday 103 new coronavirus infection cases and
    96 COVID-19 related deaths, most of which however date back to previous months.
    Some 200 patients are in intensive care. Meanwhile, efforts to persuade people
    to get the vaccine are stepped up. Over 4.5 million people have received the
    COVID-19 vaccine since December, and more than 4.2 million have got both doses.



    CORRUPTION The coronavirus pandemic has fuelled corruption among EU citizens, less than half of whom believe the crisis has been transparently managed by the authorities, says a survey made public on Tuesday by Transparency International and quoted by AFP. According to the organisation, healthcare services are particularly affected by corruption. Although only 6% of the interviewees said they offered bribe in exchange for access to healthcare, 29% of them said they used personal connections to gain privileged access. The frequency of bribe in the healthcare sector, as reported by interviewees, is higher in Romania (22%) and Bulgaria (19%), whereas the use of personal connections is higher in the Czech Republic (54%) and Portugal (46%). The authors of the report call on EU governments to step up efforts to guarantee that the on-going pandemic is overcome in a fair and equitable manner. Over 40,000 of the citizens of the 27 EU member states took part in this European corruption barometer conducted in October – December 2020.



    MOTION In Bucharest, the Chamber of Deputies votes today on the simple motion against the minister for investments and EU-funded projects Cristian Ghinea, tabled by the Social Democrats in opposition. The motion signed by 82 Social Democratic Deputies was discussed in Parliament on Monday. The authors argue that minister Ghinea must be dismissed for his “managerial dilettantism, and that the National Resilience and Recovery Plan is a “disaster and “will destroy Romania for the next 5 years. Cristian Ghinea dismissed the motion as a collection of lies, fakes and self-conflicting claims, and says Romanias current EU fund absorption rate is 55%.



    COLECTIV The Bucharest Court of Appeals is trying today and tomorrow the case against the owners of the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest and the technicians who organised the fireworks that caused the fire that killed 64 people on the night of October 30 2015. On Monday, the Court decided to split the Colectiv case into two, with the former mayor, city hall employees and fire-fighters to be tried this autumn, separately from the club owners. In December 2019, all the defendants received prison sentences and were ordered to pay damages of nearly 50 million euro to the victims of the fire.



    FOOTBALL Romanias football champions CFR Cluj are finding out today their opponents in the Champions League first preliminary round. The draw takes place in Nyon (Switzerland). CFR Cluj will be the only Romanian team in the competition, after in 2021 they won their 4th consecutive football championship and their 7th ever. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Colectiv trial is severed

    Colectiv trial is severed

    In 2015, Romania saw one
    of its biggest tragedies. A fire caused by fireworks broke out at a Bucharest
    nightclub on 30th October that year, with 26 people dying on the
    night as a result and a further 38 in its aftermath, in hospitals in Romania
    and abroad. It all happened in just a few minutes, after the ceiling and the
    pillars of the club were quickly engulfed by flames. As they tried to flee the
    club through the only existing door, the people trampled on one another. The victims
    include musicians, photographers, journalists and Romanian and foreign students.
    Some 150 people were also wounded.




    The Inspectorate for Emergency
    Situations, the fire fighters, the police and everyone who was at the site desperately
    tried to save the young people caught in the fire. However, mistakes were made
    and the decision-making was chaotic, as no one was prepared for a disaster of
    this scale. The main shareholder of the club and two associates were arrested. Other
    inquiries were also conduced later, with the result that various officials from
    the local administration, including sector mayor Cristian Popescu-Piedone, were
    indicted. Arrests were also made at the firm that provided the fireworks and at
    the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations.




    A trial began and in
    December 2019 all the defendants received sentences that included prison time
    and the payment of damages to the victims amounting to some 50 million euros. Later,
    the defendants’ lawyers appealed the sentences in court so the case is now
    seeing some changes. The Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled on Monday to split the
    Colectiv case in two, with the former sector mayor, the local administration officials
    and the firefighters to be tried separately from the club owners. The court is
    to decide in autumn if this also entails a change in the legal classification
    of offences for the former mayor and other defendants, which could result in
    easier sentences should they be convicted. The trial goes on with respect to
    the three owners of the club and the technicians who were in charge of the
    fireworks.




    The move to sever the
    trial was met with discontent by lawyers, who are saying this is an attempt to
    delay the trial and arguing that the cases were initially severed before the court
    moved for a joint trial. The plaintiffs in the civil suit – the survivors and families
    of the victims – protested against this solution in court. Moreover, they
    condemned in a public letter the judges’ move to change the legal classification
    of the defendants’ deeds. They argue that the latter’s sentences will be light
    and insignificant, disproportionate to the gravity of the acts committed and of
    their consequences, which would cast a deep shadow on the entire process of justice
    in Romania. (CM)

  • A new tragedy in Romania’s medical system

    A new tragedy in Romania’s medical system

    A brand new mobile unit in the Intensive Care section
    of the Hospital for Infectious Diseases Doctor Victor Babeş in Bucharest
    on Monday caused the death of three patients infected with the novel
    coronavirus. Other five have been transferred. According to the head of the
    Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, a surge in the oxygen
    pressure made the ventilators to stop functioning. Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has
    called on Interior Minister Lucian Bode to launch an investigation and punish
    the culprits.






    Florin Citu: What we’ve
    learnt so far is that an accident may have occurred but we’ve also kicked off
    an inquiry – I’ve already talked to the Interior Minister. We are going to
    enlarge the capacity of these IC units, like we did before, as we have a
    pandemic to stop, you know.






    We recall that the tragedy at Victor Babeş
    is not singular. In November a blaze ripped through the IC unit treating
    Covid-infected patients at the Emergency Hospital in Piatra Neamt,
    north-eastern Romania; then in January, fire destroyed several sections of the
    most modern hospital for infectious diseases in Bucharest, Matei Bals.




    Both incidents, which ended up with victims have enraged
    the Romanians and so has the authorities’ latest decision to transfer patients
    from one of the most reputed orthopedic hospitals in Bucharest, so that it
    could be turned into a unit specialized in the exclusive treatment of
    Covid-infected patients. The incumbent Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu has
    attracted a lot of heat even from his colleagues from the ruling
    center-to-right coalition.

    The Social-Democratic opposition has also blamed
    Prime Minister Florin Cîţu for his refusal to sack the minister against whom
    they have tabled another simple motion, the second in the present Parliament
    session. Voiculescu has been blamed for the way patients in the aforementioned
    hospital have been transferred, for his inability to put up a large-scale
    testing programme and extend the capacity of IC units in hospitals. Here is PSD
    MP Alfred Simonis:






    Alfred Simonis: We had before ministers who were not quite
    good at their jobs in various ministries, but it seems that none of them was like
    Mr. Voiculescu.




    Even if endorsed by Parliament, a simple motion
    against a minister doesn’t necessarily lead to their resignation.





    (bill)

  • March 15, 2021

    March 15, 2021

    COVID-19 IN
    ROMANIA – The capital city Bucharest and Braşov, Cluj, Hunedoara, Ilfov, Sălaj and Timiş counties have
    entered the red zone, the infection rate having exceed 3 per thousand
    inhabitants in these areas. On Sunday another 4,400 new infections were announced,
    by nearly 1,000 more than the previous week. The total number of infections
    stands at some 859 thousand, with the death toll closing in on 21,500. Over
    1,200 people are in intensive care. Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has called for
    identifying new hospitals to join the fight against COVID-19, by increasing the
    number of ICU beds to 1,600 and ensuring the necessary supply of medicines and
    continuing vaccination. We recall the state of alert has been extended for another
    30 days. All restrictions imposed so far remain in place, with the
    exception of the nighttime curfew, which now begins at 10 PM and ends at 5 AM.




    COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The Netherlands has suspended the use
    of the AstraZeneca anti-COVID vaccine
    as a precaution after possible side effects were reported in Denmark and
    Norway, without a confirmed connection being established so far. Several other
    European countries suspended their AstraZeneca vaccine rollouts after people
    who took the vaccine developed blood clots. AstraZeneca announced it concluded
    an analysis of the anti-COVID vaccination process and found no risk of blood
    clots in people who were immunized with its vaccine. The number of blood clots
    developed in people who took the vaccine is inferior to estimates, the
    pharmaceutical company announced. The European Medicines Agency announced the vaccine’s
    benefits continue to outweigh its risks and the vaccine can continue to be
    administered while investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing.
    On the other hand, large areas of Italy today enter a three-week lockdown in an
    attempt to slow down the spread of the virus. People coming in and out of this
    country need to provide PCR negative tests for COVID-19. Israel, on the other
    hand, continues to ease restrictions.




    VACCINATION
    – The vaccination campaign in Romania today entered its third stage addressing
    the general population. For the time being the immunization process is carried
    out in towns and villages where the COVID infection rate exceeds 4.5 per thousand
    inhabitants. People can register on waiting lists on the online platform. Meanwhile
    people who enrolled in the second phase continue to get their shots. So far
    over 2.2 million people have taken one of the three vaccines rolled out in
    Romania – Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.




    MESSAGE – Romania’s
    president, Klaus Iohannis, today conveyed a message marking the Day of
    Hungarians Worldwide. In his message, the president said that fostering
    interethnic harmony will help consolidate a stronger and more prosperous
    society. The head of state referred to the significant contribution of the
    Hungarian minority in Romania and its political representatives to Romania’s
    efforts towards European integration, promoting democratic values, human rights
    and the protection of minorities as underlying elements of Romanian society. These
    are the foundations of our common path towards a European future that shows a
    deep understanding of the mistakes of the past, president Iohannis said in his
    message.




    FIRE – A
    fire broke out today at the Psychiatry Hospital in Cavnic, northwestern
    Romania. 71 people were evacuated after a fire broke out in a bathroom on the
    third floor. The fire was extinguished without any victims being reported.
    After ventilating all wards, patients were returned to the hospital. This is
    the latest in a number of fires that recently broke out in hospitals in
    Romania. On January 29, five people were killed after four wards burned down at
    the Matei Balş Infectious
    Disease hospital in Bucharest. Also in January, a fire broke out at the
    Psychiatry Hospital in Gătaia, western Romania, and at a hospital in Roman. On
    December 25, 2020, a paitent died in another fire at the Socola Psychiatry
    Hospital in Iaşi, northeastern Romania. The most serious such incident remains
    the fire of November, 2020 at the Piatra Neamţ county hospital, which killed 10
    people.






    ENERGY -
    Romania’s Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, is starting today on a two-day visit
    to Brussels, where he will try to persuade EU officials to approve the €1.33
    billion restructuring plan for the Oltenia Energy Company. Oltenia needs a
    total of €3.5 billion to cover restructuring costs over the next 5 years, of
    which €1.5 billion is provided by the Company, and the rest by the state. In
    February, the European Commission announced the launch of a comprehensive
    investigation of the state funding allotted to restructure the company,
    claiming the company’s energy output won’t change significantly after its
    reorganization. Romanian authorities hope to obtain the approval of the
    European Commission by the end of April, so that the Oltenia Energy Company
    should be able to pay CO2 permits for 2020 penalty-free.




    HANDBALL
    – The Romanian men’s national handball team surprisingly lost 30-25 to Kosovo
    on Sunday in a match counting towards Group 8 in the second phase of the 2022
    European Championship preliminaries. After it drew against Kosovo away from
    home a few days before, Romania was humiliated in Bucharest. Sweden is top of
    the group tables with 6 points in 3 games, followed by Romania with 3 points in
    4 games, Kosovo with 3 points in 4 games and Montenegro with 2 points in 3
    games. Romania’s next fixtures will be against Sweden on April 28 in Sibiu and
    against Montenegro on May 2 in Podgorica. Romania last qualified to a European
    Championship in 1996, in Spain, where it ranked 9th. (V.P.)

  • March 7-14, 2021

    March 7-14, 2021


    The evolution of coronavirus in Romania


    The government in Bucharest decided to extend the state of alert by 30 more days, coming into effect on March 14, as the number of COVID-19 infections rises. According to PM Florin Citu, all restrictions already in place are here to stay. In addition, night circulation is forbidden between 22:00 and 5:00, one hour earlier than before. Another decision limits occupation in tourist accommodation to up to 70% of capacity. This measure is mostly aimed at accommodation in areas with skiing or winter sports facilities. At the same time, in order to speed up the vaccination campaign and contain the pandemic, on Thursday the third stage opened for people in localities with a rate of infection of over 4.5 to a thousand inhabitants. This stage will be applied nationally starting Monday, in which anyone who wishes to vaccinate can do so as well. Romania has immunized over 1.3 million people since the start of the vaccination campaign, on December 27, and over half have had the follow-up. On Thursday, the authorities in Bucharest have decided to temporarily suspend the use of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine up until the end of the evaluation run by the European Medicines Agency. The decision comes after several European countries registered severe reactions, even deaths, after the administration of these vaccines, part of a certain allotment.



    Conclusions in the fire at the Matei Bals hospital


    The Romanian government will file a case with the National Anti-Corruption Directorate following the conclusion of the Control Body in relation to the fire at the Matei Bals Institute in Bucharest. Inspectors who investigated the area after the 29 January reached the conclusion that the fire was caused by the poor and antiquated infrastructure, the undersized wiring, and the poor supervision of the patients. We recall that over 20 people have died in the fire in one pavilion of the hospital, causing over 100 COVID patients to be relocated.



    The 2021 budget passes


    President Klaus Iohannis endorsed this week the state budget and social insurance law for 2021. According to the Presidency, investment, reforms, and economic growth are the pillars of the 2021 budget, observing all the principles of fiscal responsibility and sustainability of public finance. The budget deficit target of 7.16% of the GDP indicates a considerable effort towards budget consolidation, without unduly burdening citizens with new taxes, the release also indicates. Considerable amounts of money are earmarked for the transportation infrastructure, schools and hospitals, but also for managing the vaccination campaign, as well as the risks associated with the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Major investments are aimed at supporting businesses, new opportunities for development, and creating better paying jobs, the document states. Last week, Parliament passed the budget bill in the form issued by the government, without accepting amendments. This year, the budget is based on an economic growth of 4.31%.



    Romania reports record economic growth for 2020 4th quarter


    Romania had the highest GDP growth of any EU country in the fourth quarter of the past year compared to the previous quarter. According to data published on Tuesday by Eurostat, the Romanian economy grew by 4.8% during that period. Previously, the Romanian National Institute of Statistics reviewed downwards its expectation for growth from 5.3% to 4.8% for the GDP in the last quarter of last year. It did not, however, adjust its estimate for 2020, according to which the Romanian economy shrank by 3.9% in real terms. The shrinkage in the GDP was caused by industry, trade, agriculture, and entertainment related activities.



    The authorities in Bucharest want to eliminate cumulative pensions


    Romania has launched a public debate on a bill to ban cumulative pensions with state wages. Minister of Labor Raluca Turcan announced that around 35,000 tax payers are receiving both a pension and a salary. There will be exceptions to this, however, such as teachers, members of the Romanian Academy, and elected officials. The bill also provides for the possibility of continuing work up until 70 years of age, applying to both state and private employees. Another bill was submitted for public debate, along with an emergency executive order, allowing for parents who return to work earlier than their parental leave allows to receive a higher bonus for returning.



    The Green Friday campaign is launched


    The Romanian Ministry of the Environment launched on March 12 the Green Friday initiative, encouraging the use of alternative transportation for going to and from work in order to reduce pollution, especially in the big cities. The campaign provides that every Friday people should not use their personal vehicles and go to and from work using public transport, bicycles, or just on foot. Minister of the Environment Tánczos Barna announced he would launch an invitation to everyone to take part, while town halls were extended a proposal to offer free public transportation on Fridays. (tr. C. Cotoiu)

  • February 1, 2021 UPDATE

    February 1, 2021 UPDATE

    Fire. Another
    patient died from among those transferred after a fire on Friday at the Matei
    Balş Institute in Bucharest. The health ministry said the patient was suffering
    from a severe form of Covid-19 and had many underlying conditions. A team of
    prosecutors, forensic investigators and experts continues investigations at the site of the
    fire. According to judicial sources, interviews are conducted with medical
    staff and relatives of the 8 victims. Inquiries are also looking into the
    hospital’s fire safety system, electrical installations and security management.
    The opposition Social Democratic Party says it will table a simple motion of no-confidence
    against health minister Vlad Voiculescu next week.




    Vaccine. A new
    batch of Covid-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, the largest so far,
    arrived in Romania on Monday. The delivery schedule is much delayed, as in all
    European countries, but the manufacturing company has given assurances that,
    from the middle of this month, the number of delivered doses will increase. Monday
    also saw the start of the rollout of the Moderna vaccine. So far, almost 600,000
    people have been vaccinated in Romania. The total number of coronavirus infections
    passed 730,000 on Monday. Some 18,400 people have died. About 1,000 patients
    are receiving intensive care treatment.




    Travel. The 27 EU
    member states have agreed to tighten border restrictions for non-EU arrivals,
    who, among others, must present a negative Covid test result conducted within
    the last 72 hours. This measure will also apply to essential travel, such as
    for family or business emergencies. Non-essential travel is largely banned,
    with exceptions for EU citizens and their families. Many countries, such as
    France and the Netherlands, already require testing before departure. Mandatory
    isolation and additional testing on arrival will also be requested for arrivals
    from regions where the new coronavirus variants have been identified.




    Parliament. The
    new Parliament following December’s elections began its first session on Monday.
    The priority is the adoption of this year’s budget bill. The representatives of
    the governing coalition formed by the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania
    Union and PLUS Alliance and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
    Romania want to initiate large-scale reforms in the field of salaries,
    pensions, education and healthcare. Opposition parties say they will promote
    the initiatives they talked about during the election campaign and that they
    will bring more amendments to the government’s bills.




    Unemployment. At 4.9%, Romania has one of the
    lowest unemployment rates in the European Union, according to a report by
    Eurostat, the European statistics office. The highest unemployment rates in the
    EU are in Spain, with 16.2%, followed by Lithuania and Italy, while the Czech
    Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Malta, Germany, Slovenia, Bulgaria and
    Romania have the lowest rates. In December, the unemployment rate remained at
    7.5% at EU level and at 8.3% in the eurozone.




    Film. Romanian filmmaker Adina Pintilie, the
    winner of the 2018 Golden Bear Trophy with her film Touch Me Not will sit on
    the jury of the 71st edition of the Berlin Film Festival alongside
    other Golden Bear winners. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the festival
    will take place in two stages. The titles selected in the different sections of
    the festival will first be presented to film professionals and the media during
    a so-called industry event between 1st and 5th March,
    before being shown to the public during a summer special in June.




    Tennis.
    The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world number two, has qualified for
    the eighth finals of the Gippsland Trophy tournament in Melbourne, worth more
    than 565,000 dollars in prize money. She defeated Russia’s Anastasia Potapova in
    straight sets to win her first match this year. On Tuesday, the second Romanian
    player in this competition, Irina Begu, will be playing Aliaksandra Sasnovich
    of Belarus in the second round. (CM)





  • Romanian public hospitals, in a critical state

    Romanian public hospitals, in a critical state

    Nearly 4,000 violations of fire safety regulations were found in the inspections conducted last year in around 500 public hospitals in Romania. The data is included in a report of the Department for Emergency Situations dated December 2020, and forwarded to the health minister at the time. A similar number of irregularities had been found the year before, in 2019, according to another report.



    The documents list, among the most important deficiencies, the operation of hospitals without a fire safety permit, the lack of fire detection, signalling and alarm equipment in hospitals or their improper operation, the failure to properly organise fire defence activities, particularly as regards the evacuation of users, and the low capability to rescue patients who are unable to move on their own, particularly because of the lack of healthcare personnel especially on night shifts.



    As many as 130 intensive care units do not have a permit from the fire department, and many hospitals operate without fire extinguishers or hydrants, the document details. Moreover, electrical equipment is used which is malfunctioning, inadequately maintained or overburdened by an excessive number of users.



    Hundreds of fines have been issued, as well as thousands of warnings, and alarm/evacuation and first intervention drills have been conducted.



    The reports were made public by the Health Ministry on Sunday, following last weeks fire at the Matei Balș Institute in Bucharest, which came after a similar one that occurred in November at the County Hospital in Piatra Neamţ (north-east). In both cases, Covid-19 patients in the ICU died and were injured.



    The incumbent health minister Vlad Voiculescu says the healthcare infrastructure in Romania has steadily deteriorated over the past years, and new hospitals are long overdue. He also mentioned that COVID 19 units are still working at full capacity, which is why electrical and gas supply networks cannot be replaced at the moment, even though the presence of oxygen systems for medical use is a risk factor.



    Voiculescu promised that in 3 years time, foundations will have been laid for regional hospitals in Craiova (south), Iaşi (north-east) and Cluj (north-west), but added that new hospitals also need to be built in Bucharest and in other cities. The official announced a National Fund would be set up, for healthcare infrastructure funding. The fund, which will focus on patient safety, will be financed from the state budget and EU sources, and will enable hospitals to make urgent investments related to fire safety, earthquake protection and the prevention of in-hospital infections. (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • New tragedy hits Romania’s hospitals

    New tragedy hits Romania’s hospitals

    Last November, when Romania was struggling with thousands of daily new coronavirus infections, the intensive care unit of the County Emergency Hospital in Piatra Neamţ (north-east of the country) was the scene of a devastating fire that killed 10 of the hospitals patients.



    In the wake of the event, Public Health Directorate teams and experts with the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations conducted inspections in all ICUs across the country, to check installations and the procedures for operating relevant medical equipment. The checks revealed that there are counties in Romania where no hospital has a fire safety permit. A public healthcare trade union warned at the time that the Piatra Neamţ tragedy may repeat itself anywhere in the country, because of the worn-out equipment and overworked personnel.



    Early on Friday morning, a fire broke out in one of the buildings of the Matei Balş Infectious Disease Hospital in Bucharest, a state-of-the-art healthcare unit which has been, as the saying goes, on the frontline of the coronavirus fight. Only COVID patients with medium and severe forms of the disease are cared for in this hospital. This incident, too, made victims among the patients.



    Dr. Beatrice Mahler is the head of the Marius Nasta Institute in Bucharest, one of the units that took over the patients evacuated from Matei Balş. She told Radio Romania that investments in infrastructure are vital and must come as soon as possible.



    In turn, the health minister Vlad Voiculescu does not deny the need for radical changes in the public health system and for substantial investments. He says however the responsibility in such situations rests with the hospital manager.



    Vlad Voiculescu: “Before talking about major changes in the healthcare system, we need managers to do their job at each level and yes, very often we need funding, which may come from multiple sources, but more often than not this is about the hospital management. We shouldnt get lost in general healthcare policy issues. Because the fact is that a building does not catch fire because of the system, but rather because some rules have not been observed and some investments have not been made, or have been made inadequately.



    The former manager of the Matei Balş Institute, Adrian Streinu-Cercel, Ph.D., currently a Social Democratic Senator in opposition, vowed that the hospital has all permits in order. The building affected by the fire is an old one, but it had been revamped, including in terms of oxygen supplies, Streinu-Cercel explained.



    The mass media are looking back at similar incidents occurring in hospitals, and there have been rather many of them. One of the most devastating took place in August 2010, when a fire that broke out in the intensive care ward of a maternity hospital in Bucharest killed 5 new-borns. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • January 29, 2021

    January 29, 2021

    FIRE – A fire broke out on Friday morning at the Matei
    Balş Institute for Infectious Disease in Romania, killing five patients.
    Several wards burned down in the fire and heavy smoke spread throughout the
    building. 120 patients were evacuated and transferred to other medical units.
    So far the cause of the fire remains unknown, but prosecutors have launched a
    manslaughter investigation. Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has conveyed his
    condolences to the families of the victims and said all the measures are being
    taken to bring the situation under control. The Prime Minister’s Office inquiry
    team is already conducting its own investigation. Senate Speaker Anca Dragu
    said the fire is a tragedy that cannot remain without consequence, adding that,
    once the cause of the fire is ascertained, swift actions are needed to right
    the wrongs in the healthcare sector. Social-Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu said
    he felt shocked, heartbroken and appalled with the Government’s lack of action
    to make sure the tragedy at Piatra Neamţ must not happen again. We recall
    another fire broke out in November at an IC unit at the Piatra Neamţ Emergency
    County Hospital which killed 10 people.




    COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Romania’s national vaccination campaign is in full
    swing, with over 534 thousand people immunized so far. Health Minister Vlad
    Voiculescu has announced Romania is facing a shortage of vaccine doses. The
    Minister also said certain centers, which immunized people from outside the
    eligible categories, are to face sanctions. 2,737 new infections were announced
    on Friday in addition to 91 COVID-related fatalities. Since the outbreak, over
    724 thousand people have got infected in Romania and more than 18 thousand
    died. About one thousand people are currently being treated in IC units.




    COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The infection rate remains high on the continent,
    putting pressure on medical systems, which is why a relaxation of restrictions
    would be premature, the WHO Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, has said. The WHO
    official believes the high rates of infection and the emergence of new strains
    of the coronavirus have stressed the need for urgently immunizing top-priority
    categories of people, but the rate of production and distribution of vaccines
    has fallen short of expectations, for the time being. The vaccination process
    has started in 35 European states, Director Kluge argues, and some 25 million
    shots have already been administered. The UK is the first European country to
    start a national anti-COVID vaccination campaign. In other states, such as the
    Seychelles, Iceland or Cyprus, authorities announced they would renounce
    testing and quarantine for travellers who present an international vaccine
    certificate. Over 102 million infections have been reported globally since the
    start of the epidemic and over 2.2 million people have died to the virus, the
    latest worldometers.info update reveals.




    EPPO – The Romanian
    Justice Ministry today is announcing the candidates it selected for the
    position of EPPO delegate prosecutor in Romania. The prosecutors will be
    working for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in their home
    countries and will have the same responsibilities as national prosecutors in
    terms of investigations, criminal actions and prosecution. The EPPO will also investigate
    fraud and other crimes infringing on the EU’s financial interests. EPPO will
    also be investigating crimes with EU-wide effects or crimes perpetrated by
    civil servants or members of European institutions. We recall Romanian Laura Codruța Kovesi is the head of the European
    Public Prosecutor’s Office.




    MOLDOVA – A Romanian delegation on Thursday discussed with
    Moldovan authorities in Chişinău about technical and legal proceedings needed
    to deliver the batch of anti-COVID-19 vaccine to Moldova. The batch totals
    200,000 doses, in addition to medical and protection equipment required to
    treat the infected. The assistance package offered by Romania has been
    announced by President Klaus Iohannis during last month’s visit to the Republic
    of Moldova.




    NAVALNY – A Russian court has ruled against the appeal lodged
    by Russian opposition leader, Alexey Navalny, who demanded his release from
    prison. A vehement critic of President Vladimir Putin, Navalny took the
    opportunity to warn the Kremlin, whom he accuses of attempting to assassinate
    him after poisoning him last year. The police has searched the apartments and
    offices of people close to Navalny, detaining several people, including
    Navalny’s brother and his associates. Alexey Navalny was arrested on January 17
    at the airport shortly after his arrival from Germany, where he was
    hospitalized and treated for Novichok poisoning. The Russian authorities have
    denied any involvement in his attempted assassination. The United States
    requested Navalny be released. (V. Palcu)












  • January 10, 2021 UPDATE

    January 10, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the total number of coronavirus infections in Romania has passed 671,000 and the total death toll has reached over 16,600, after over 3,000 new cases and 62 deaths were reported on Sunday. 1,065 people are currently in intensive care. The largest number of cases, 825, was reported in the capital Bucharest. Since the start of the vaccination programme in Romania on December 27, more than 100,000 people have received the anti-COVID-19 vaccine. Mild and common side effects have been reported in 350 cases, mostly headaches, muscle pain, fever, asthenia or rashes. The next stage in the vaccination campaign, addressing the elderly and chronic patients, is scheduled to start at the end of next week. The Government is to pass an emergency order granting bonuses to the personnel involved in the anti-COVID National Vaccination Programme, the health minister Vlad Voiculescu announced. Family physicians, who are regarded as a vital element in the immunisation campaign, will also be paid.



    FILM colectiv / “Collective, the Romanian documentary by Alexander Nanau covering a journalist investigation into the corruption in Romanian healthcare, won the award for best foreign-language film of the US National Society of Film Critics. The documentary colectiv is Romanias nomination for the 2021 Oscars in the “best international feature film, previously known as best foreign film. This is the first time that Romania submits a documentary in the competition for the Academy Awards.



    BANKS As of Monday, all banks in Romania are to submit to the National Tax Agency (ANAF) all data on the accounts held by private individuals and business, under an emergency order which transposes a European directive. The new legislation is designed to help the authorities fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. An electronic tax registry will become operational, containing banking and payment accounts identified by International Bank Account Number. The Agency will thus be able to monitor money circuits in Romania and to identify money laundering attempts.



    SCHOOLS Romanian students resume online classes on Monday, for the last 3 weeks of the first half of the academic year. A one-week vacation follows, and the second semester, beginning on February 8, might bring Romanias 3 million primary, secondary and high school students back into schools. This is one of the options considered by the authorities, depending on the latest COVID-19 developments. Another option is for only pre-schoolers and primary school students to resume face-to-face classes, while in a third scenario 8th and 12th graders might also get back to school.



    EMPLOYEES 1.25 million people were working in public institutions in Romania in November 2020, over 64% of them in the central public administration. According to the Finance Ministry, nearly 600,000 of these jobs are entirely funded from the state budget. The largest number of jobs is reported in public education (almost 300,000), followed by the Interior Ministry (125,000). Local public administration units had 450,000 employees in November, more than half of them in jobs fully financed from the state budget.



    COMPLAINTS Almost half of the complaints filed in 2020 to the European Consumer Centre in Romania concerned the transport sector. People were unhappy with the services received from air, road, railway and naval transport companies, as well as from car rental companies. Other complaints concerned clothing and footwear, restaurants and hotels, as well as entertainment and cultural activities, the National Consumer Protection Authority says.



    WEATHER A code yellow alert for heavy snowfalls is in place until Monday afternoon in the south and south-west of the country and the capital Bucharest. A layer of 10-20 cm of snow is expected in these areas. Snowfalls, glaze and temperatures of up to 2 degrees Celsius are forecast in Bucharest for the next 4 days. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • New international recognition for “colectiv”

    New international recognition for “colectiv”

    In Rolling Stone magazines top 20 films of this year, the Romanian Alexander Nanaus documentary “colectiv is ranking first. It looks at the tragedy of October 30, 2015, when a fire broke out during a concert held in a rock club operating in a decommissioned plant in Bucharest. 64 people died, 27 of them on the spot, and around 200 were injured, one of whom committed suicide later on. Some of the injured were flown abroad for medical care, others, who stayed in the country, died because of the burns and of in-hospital infections.



    Following journalists, victims and governmental officials, Alexander Nanaus documentary talks about the awakening of civic engagement and the need for non-partisan journalism in a democratic world.



    The British The Economist, and the American Vanity Fair are some of the publications that do not conceal their admiration for this documentary: The Economist calls it a “remarkable film, Vanity Fair describes it as “shattering.



    After the awards won at international film festivals in Brazil, the US, Belgium, Israel, Switzerland and Luxembourg, last weekend the documentary won the European Film Academys award for best documentary.



    “colectiv is the first Romanian documentary to win this competition of the European Film Academy, an institution founded in 1988 and bringing together over 3,800 European filmmakers. This prompted director Alexander Nanau to say that this is particularly a sign of recognition of the importance of journalism in society, of courage on the part of whistle-blowers and of citizens rights to be respected and protected by their politicians.



    “colectiv is also nominated, alongside 2 other films (‘Another Round’ and ‘Corpus Cristi’), for the Lux European Audience Award. The winner will be announced on April 28, 2021 in a European Parliament session, and will be based on the votes of the audience and of the MEPs, each weighing 50% in the decision.



    We should also mention that “colectiv by Alexander Nanau is Romanias contribution to next years Oscars for best international feature, previously known as the best foreign film. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Romanian hospitals, in a dire situation

    Romanian hospitals, in a dire situation

    Hospitals in Romania will increase their ICU capacity this week and the Government will allocate the necessary funds so that activity of the emergency care units unfolds smoothly, PM Ludovic Orban said after consultations with Health Minister Nelu Tataru. The two officials also talked about Sunday’s tragedy in Piatra Neamt. Ludovic Orban: ”The plan for this week includes an increase in intensive care capacity by at least 200 beds. We have found solutions for each region. We also discussed several solutions for Bucharest. We decided to provide all necessary equipment where new ICUs can be opened. Also, we try to find the resources to do all these things as soon as possible. ”



    The PM has also announced that a conformity plan will be drawn up and presented to hospital managers: ”We monitor the observance of regulations as regads the functioning of ICUs. We discussed the possibility to cover all these costs through non-repayable European financing. As regards increasing the capacity of ICUs, we have discussed in detail the situation in each county. We will be able to treat more patients, including by turning some units into support hospitals.”



    In his turn, Health Minister Minister Tataru has announced that another two medical units in Bucharest will become support hospitals. He has also said that the authorities’ main effort at present is directed towards increasing the ICU capacity to accommodate patients. He has explained that a forced modernisation of hospitals was made this year and that authorities have to make sure that safety measures have been also met.



    Following the fire at the hospital in Piatra Neamt, joint teams from the Public Health Directorate and the county inspectorates for emergency situations are carrying out an assessment, as of Monday, in all intensive care units, checking all gas supplying installations and their compliance with the regulations in place with respect to patients and staff safety. Checks conducted so far have revealed that there are counties in Romania where hospitals do not have a fire security license. Trade union federation SANITAS, representing healthcare workers, has warned that the tragedy in Piatra Neamt can repeat anywhere in the country, due to the obsolete equipment and the exhausted staff. Romania has registered new negative records these days, due to Covid-19, and hospitals are under huge pressure. (Translated by Elena Enache)