Radio România Internațional

Tag: flu

  • Outpatient centres for respiratory infections

    Outpatient centres for respiratory infections

     

    Romania has declared a state of epidemiological alert due to the large number of respiratory infections. In recent weeks, cases of flu, viral infections and pneumonia have multiplied and exceed the average number reported in previous seasons. Hospitals have introduced restrictions on visitors, and healthcare authorities urge people to observe hygiene rules, avoid crowded places and keep people with flu symptoms away from the community. The health ministry says daily observational triage should be organised in schools, and children with symptoms should be sent back home.

     

    The health minister Alexandru Rafila explained that the flu has seasonal evolution in the northern and southern hemispheres, respectively. “Of course it is a greater effort, there are longer waiting times, but this happens absolutely everywhere, we cannot help but face problems in Romania as well. We are doing everything in our power and in the hands of local public healthcare authorities to be able to manage this situation in a favourable way,” Alexandru Rafila said.

     

    As the number of cases is growing from one week to the next, and hospital emergency rooms are overcrowded, more than 300 outpatient centres for flu and respiratory infection cases have been opened throughout the country. The health ministry has made public a list of the units available for Romanians with such problems.

     

    The measure is designed to reduce the pressure on hospital emergency rooms, after the number of virus cases doubled last week alone. More precisely, over 170,000 cases of respiratory infections were reported last week, and 15 people died from the flu, bringing the total number of casualties since the beginning of the season to 35.

     

    The health minister Alexandru Rafila says that every year during the flu season the situation is complicated both for adults and children, but this is the largest number of cases reported in recent years. He also added that patients with symptoms should first of all contact their family physicians, and that they should only go to the permanent centres or the outpatient units if their health worsens or worrying symptoms appear. Mr. Rafila said he was not in favour of closing schools, but emphasised that kids with respiratory infections should be kept at home. In his opinion, he added, the best solution is to keep teaching activities running. (AMP)

  • January 31, 2025 UPDATE

    January 31, 2025 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT The Romanian government has completed all the preliminary procedures before passing the draft 2025 state budget law on Saturday. According to PM Marcel Ciolacu, the news that the budget bill has been finalised has triggered a decrease in the interest rates at which the country borrows money in foreign markets. He said that, after the budget is endorsed in Parliament, other positive effects will follow. Ciolacu mentioned that exports will increase this year by over 3% as a result of Romania’s full Schengen accession, and emphasised that the warm weather in January allowed construction works to progress significantly, especially as regards the highway infrastructure. As a result, the budget earmarked to transportation has been increased by almost 20% compared to last year. A priority for this year is attracting foreign investments, Ciolacu added. In this respect, he announced that a foreign holding has announced plans to relocate a factory from Bulgaria to Romania. Moreover, the PM said that there are clear signals that the strategic partnership with the US is entering a new economic dimension and that next week he will have talks with the heads of major American investment funds.

     

    MOLDOVA Romania has stood by the R of Moldova and will continue to do so, in order to increase its energy resilience and support it in its EU accession efforts, the Romanian foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu promised in Chişinău on Friday, during his first official visit in this capacity. He was received by president Maia Sandu and had meetings with his Moldovan counterpart Mihai Popşoi, and with the speaker of parliament Igor Grosu. Maia Sandu and Emil Hurezeanu discussed ways to strengthen economic ties between the two states and to encourage Romanian companies to invest in Moldova. Emphasis was also placed on improving transport infrastructure, including the construction of new bridges over the Prut and streamlining cross-border traffic. During his meetings in Chişinău, Emil Hurezeanu emphasised that Moldova’s citizens are not alone in facing the energy crisis and can count on the support of Romania and other partners. ‘The destabilising effects of the energy crisis have helped tighten our ties. We are happy that Romania has managed to cover over 60% of the citizens’ current energy demand, and the preparation of high-voltage lines is also underway. We have been and will remain by the side of the Republic of Moldova,’ Emil Hurezeanu concluded.

     

    THEFT The Romanian justice minister Radu Marinescu called on his Dutch counterpart David van Weel to carry on efforts in the case of the theft of Romania’s Dacian treasury items and offered the Dutch side all the necessary support. The two ministers had a bilateral meeting during an informal meeting of EU justice ministers hosted by Warsaw. So far, 3 persons have been detained in connection to the theft. A break-in occurred last weekend at Drents Museum during which a golden helmet and three gold Dacian bracelets were stolen, some of Romania’s most important national heritage items.

     

    FLU The number of respiratory infections is on the rise in Romania and the health ministry declared a state of epidemiological alert. Official data show that almost 134,000 patients were diagnosed with respiratory infection symptoms last week, including 11,000 flu cases. Eight people died from flu last week, taking the toll to 22 this season.

     

    JUSTICE The Romanian justice minister Radu Marinescu Friday took part in an informal meeting of EU justice ministers in Warsaw, where current issues were discussed, such as mutual cooperation in the field of ​​justice, the consequences of Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine and the future of justice. According to a news release issued by the Romanian justice ministry, Radu Marinescu stressed that Romania has offered war victims both support for access to justice, through professional bodies, and other forms of counseling, through Romanian NGOs and authorities. In a separate work session, Radu Marinescu welcomed the initiative of the Polish presidency to continue discussions dedicated to judicial cooperation, under the umbrella of the rule of law.

     

    SPORTS Romanian football champions FCSB (Bucharest) lost 2-0 on Thursday on home turf to the English team Manchester United, in Europa League’s 8th and final round. According to the draw in Nyon (Switzerland) on Friday, the Bucharest team will take on the Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki, coached by the Romanian Răzvan Lucescu, in Europa League’s play-offs for the round of 16. FCSB will play the first leg away from home on February 13, and the return leg in Bucharest on February 20. The winner will play in the round of 16 against Olympique Lyon. In tennis, Romania plays Bulgaria in Craiova on Friday and Saturday, in the Davis Cup World Group I play-offs. The winner moves up to World Group I, while the defeated team will play in World Group II. Romania and Bulgaria have met only once before in the Davis Cup, in 1988, when Romania won decisively with a score of 5-0. (AMP)

  • January 17, 2025

    January 17, 2025

     

    RUSSIA The Romanian ministry of foreign affairs firmly condemns the Russian forces’ irresponsible attacks that violate all the norms of international law, and emphasises that Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine generates risks for the entire region. The statement was made as the monitoring and surveillance systems of Romania’s defence ministry Friday morning noted violations of Romanian airspace, in Tulcea county, after Russian forces resumed their drone attacks on civilian targets and port infrastructure in Ukraine. ‘Respect for sovereignty, security and peace are obligations that the Russian Federation violates systematically and without provocation. The persistent aggressive actions, the illegal occupation of some of the neighboring territories and the illegal full-scale war that Russia has been waging for almost 3 years against a sovereign neighbor are a persistent and serious threat not only to Ukraine but to the entire Black Sea region and NATO’s eastern flank,’ the foreign ministry says. The foreign ministry and the defence ministry also mention that they have been informing NATO in real time about the situations caused by these attacks, and remain in permanent contact with it.

     

    PROTESTS Several thousand police officers and employees from defence, public order and national security institutions, as well as reserve officers from all over Romania take part in a protest in Bucharest today. They are unhappy with a government order that has significantly reduced their incomes. The act scraps overtime pay and payments for days worked on weekends or public holidays. The protesters argue that the income of operational police officers will be severely affected, with decreases ranging between EUR 200 and 2,000. The participants are marching towards the ministry of finance, the ministry of justice, the labour ministry, and the interior ministry, with the government headquarters as their final destination.

     

    ELECTIONS The first round of the presidential elections in Romania will take place on May 4, and the second round on May 18, the government has decided. Stricter rules have also been set for the election campaign, especially regulating online campaigns. Failure to comply with them may entail fines for major online platforms of up to 5% of their turnover. Romanians in the diaspora will still have 3 days to vote, but on the last day, that is, on Sunday, polling stations will close at 9:00 p.m. Romanian time, regardless of the local time zone. The new provisions have been criticised by several NGOs. The presidential election was cancelled at the end of last year by the Constitutional Court, on grounds that the election process had been flawed.

     

    FLU Flu vaccination remains the easiest, safest and most effective protection method against seasonal diseases, Romanian doctors reiterate amid increases in the number of respiratory infections. Specialists emphasise that as the percentage of the vaccinated population increased, flu viruses spread less in communities decreases. A National Institute for Public Health report shows that the number of people diagnosed with respiratory infections has doubled, with almost 91,000 cases reported in the last week. There are almost 600 patients diagnosed with clinical flu and over 200 for whom lab tests have confirmed infection with the flu virus, most of them in Bucharest, Cluj, Braşov, Constanţa, Alba and Galaţi. Five more people have died from the flu, bringing the death toll since the beginning of the season up to 9.

     

    MIDDLE EAST Israel and Hamas have officially signed a ceasefire and hostage release agreement in Gaza, after overcoming last-minute disputes. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Security Cabinet and the government are meeting later today to ratify the document. The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he expects the implementation of the agreement to begin on Sunday as planned, with the release of the first 3 Israeli hostages. At least one of the far-right Israeli ministers who oppose the agreement has resigned. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Israel, political life in Israel is shaping up to be troubled, with a great potential for surprises and even changes.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis players Gabriela Ruse and Jaqueline Cristian, in separate pairs, qualified for the second round of the women’s doubles event at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, after winning their respective matches on Friday in Melbourne. Ruse and Ukraine’s Marta Kostiuk won against the Australians Destanee Aiuava and Maddison Inglis 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), and in the second round they will face strong opponents in Elise Mertens (Belgium) and Ellen Perez (Australia), seeded 6th. Jaqueline Cristian and her Italian partner Camilla Rosatello defeated Cristina Bucşa (Spain) / Iana Sizikova (Russia) 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4. Cristian and Rosatello will next face Leylah Fernandez (Canada) and Nadia Kicenok (Ukraine), seeded 16th. In another first-round match in the women’s doubles, Monica Niculescu and Sofia Kenin (US) were defeated by Miyu Kato (Japan) / Renata Zarazua (Mexico), 6-4, 6-4. In the men’s doubles, the Romanian-Argentine pair Victor Cornea / Mariano Navone were defeated in the second round by Germany’s Kevin Krawietz / Tim Puetz, 4-6, 6-1. (AMP)

  • February 3, 2024 UPDATE

    February 3, 2024 UPDATE

    AGREEMENT The PM
    of Romania Marcel Ciolacu and the representatives of farmers and carriers
    Friday reached an agreement ending the recent protests. On Monday, the PM’s
    office will set up an inter-ministry committee tasked with identifying the best
    solutions for the protesters’ demands. Farmers and carriers in Romania
    protested for 3 weeks against high business costs, low prices for produce, the
    import of cheap foodstuffs from Ukraine and the constraints introduced by the
    EU as part of its climate change action.


    COMMEMORATION A
    ceremony commemorating the prominent politician Iuliu Maniu, a former prime
    minister of Romania and leader of the National Christian-Democratic Party, was
    held on Saturday at the Memorial for the victims of communism in Sighetu
    Marmaţiei (north-west). Maniu died on the night of February 4 1953, in the political
    prison in Sighet, where he was serving a life sentence for high treason
    pronounced by the communist regime. His name was cleared under a Supreme Court
    ruling in 1998, and a monument was erected in his honour in the Revolution
    Square in Bucharest.


    MOLDOVA Chişinău
    extended an entry ban against the leader of the Romanian nationalist party AUR,
    George Simion, by another 5 years. Under Moldova’s legislation, foreigners may
    be declared undesirables if they have or if there are strong reasons to believe
    they intend to conduct activities likely to endanger the country’s national
    security or public order. According to the R. of Moldova, the Romanian
    authorities have been notified in this respect, and George Simion challenged
    the decision in court. The AUR leader was expelled from Moldova in 2018, with
    an entry ban in place for a period of 5 years.


    HEALTHCARE Trade
    unions in the healthcare sector have new talks scheduled next week with the
    Romanian authorities in the context of the recent protests. The vice-president
    of the Ambulanţa Trade Union Federation, Magyary Arpad, had a meeting on
    Friday with the healthcare minister, Alexandru Rafila, but failed to reach an
    agreement on salaries, equipment and the personnel shortage in the system.
    Arpad voiced optimism with respect to a 20% pay raise deal, but said he was not
    sure the measure would cover all healthcare personnel and whether it would be
    implemented in full or in several instalments. He said the talks also concerned
    the procurement of ambulance vehicles, office revamping and changes in the
    legislation. Trade unions in healthcare initiated nation-wide protests in
    November 2022, but suspended them until after next week’s meeting with PM
    Marcel Ciolacu. Talks will also be held in the coming days with the Sanitas trade
    union federation, which has its own salary demands for several categories of
    healthcare personnel.


    ALERT
    Healthcare units in Romania are implementing additional measures after a state
    of epidemiological alert was declared due to the growing number of respiratory
    infections and flu cases. Special attention is given to the health of hospital
    personnel and to the protection equipment, and visiting hours have been reduced.
    Visitor access is denied in ICUs, neonatology and pediatrics departments,
    coronary care units, oncology and hematology units, and in infectious disease
    units. In other hospital departments, no more than 2 visitors will be allowed
    at the same time in a room, and individual protection equipment will be
    compulsory.


    MIDDLE EAST The
    US conducted scores of air raids against targets operated by Iran-controlled
    groups in Iraq and Syria. The Pentagon said the raids were a response to the
    recent drone attack by Iran-supported fighters, which killed 3 US troops at a
    military base in Jordan, the BBC reports. Taking part in Friday’s raids were B1
    long-range bombers, flying out of the US. Iran condemned the strikes, claiming
    they violated the sovereignty of Syria and Iraq, AFP reports. In Bagdad, a
    government spokesman announced the US strikes in western Iraq killed at least
    16 people, including civilians. Meanwhile, the US state secretary Antony
    Blinken will travel to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the West Bank
    between February 4 and 8, primarily to reach a deal securing the freeing of all
    the Israeli hostages kept in Gaza following the Hamas terror attack of October
    7. (AMP)

  • Epidemiological alert in Romania

    Epidemiological alert in Romania

    For the third consecutive week, the incidence of respiratory infections reported in Romania exceeded the average level calculated for the last seasons, and the authorities decided to release an epidemiological alert. The National Public Health Institute reported over 130 thousand cases of respiratory infections, in just one week, and more than 9 thousand cases of clinical flu. The number of diagnosed respiratory infection cases refers to the week of January 22 – 28, and the finding is that, compared to the same period of last winter, the number of patients is 35 percent higher. The increase compared to the previous week is 8 percent. As for the flu cases, the number of patients increased, weekly, by almost 2 thousand and is much higher compared to the same period of last year.



    However, the situation is better in terms of severe acute respiratory infections, which are now fewer as compared to the previous week and also as compared to last year. The number of deaths caused by the influenza virus has reached 50, the Public Health Institute informed. The health minister, Alexandru Rafila, does not rule out a scenario according to which the cases of illness might reach the maximum level recorded last year. He said that Romania would not face an epidemic because, as their observations show, the maintenance of this upward trend is limited and until the end of February the number of cases ​​will probably be lower, said the health minister. He pointed out that the epidemiological alerts do not imply restrictions, but only prepare the medical system for a worse situation.



    Alexandru Rafila: This is the third consecutive week of growth above the average level recorded in the last 5 years. It is called epidemic week. Weve had two such weeks so far. This is the third one. There is absolutely nothing different from last year’s situation, no restrictions are being imposed; it is related to preparing the health system for a greater number of respiratory infections so that we can provide all the necessary resources to the health units.



    Apart from the measures recommended in medical units, there are recommendations for schools. Those in charge of educational institutions must provide the necessary sanitary materials and inform parents about the symptoms and the importance of keeping children at home if they have signs of respiratory infections. For the population, in general, the already known recommendations remain valid: avoiding crowds, observing hygiene rules, isolation at home in case of illness, use of protective masks, if necessary, and, last but not least, flu vaccination especially in the case of vulnerable categories. (LS)

  • January 26, 2024

    January 26, 2024

    Protests – The Romanian government has adopted several measures aimed at solving the problems that have brought farmers and transporters to the streets in recent weeks. Money has been allocated for subsidies for farmers of dairy cows, buffaloes, poultry and pigs, and the subsidy for diesel fuel used in agriculture has also been increased. The money will reach the farmers by the end of June this year. For farmers affected by the drought of 2023, the government adopted an emergency ordinance that allows them to postpone payment of installments to the banks. It was also decided to change the legal framework so that truck drivers will no longer be fined for the expiry of the vignette in the case of long waiting times at customs points, and as regards the healthcare employees, an overall 20% increase in the salaries was agreed in the healthcare field for 2024.



    Automobile – The production of vehicles in Romania reported a record increase last year and exceeded by more than 4% the total number of cars in 2019. Adrian Sandu, the general secretary of the Romanian Automobile Manufacturers Association, believes that this increase was possible thanks to the efforts of the two factories, Dacia and Ford, to find solutions to the crisis of electronic components. “Both the Dacia and Ford teams did their best to ensure an optimal supply flow of components, so that, against the background of a consistent demand, we have this increase in production, thus registering in 2023 a new record of production of vehicles in Romania, about 513,000 units”, said Adrian Sandu.



    Drugs – The European Union states should focus on the fight against drug trafficking in ports, on an integrated basis at the international level, said the Romanian Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu on Thursday in Brussels. Attending the informal Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting, he mentioned that a working group has been organized in Romania that integrates several institutions with attributions in preventing and combating drug trafficking. Cătălin Predoiu showed that, just as drug traffickers work in networks at the international level, the structures to combat this phenomenon must be organized in the same way, and Romania will be in the front line of this fight. At the same time, he welcomed the decision made by the Council last year, to expand the Schengen area with Romania and Bulgaria to include the air and maritime borders.



    Flu – 18 people have died of the flu in Romania in the last week, and the total number of deaths caused by flu since the beginning of the cold season is 40. According to the National Public Health Institute, between January 15-21, over 120,000 cases of respiratory viruses and almost 7,000 cases of flu were registered, and hospitals are faced with increasing numbers of patients in the Emergency Outpatient Service Units. The youngest patients are babies only a few days old. Due to a lack of beds, doctors are forced to postpone the hospitalization of some of the patients. A little over 1 million people have been vaccinated against the flu this season, most of whom benefit from the reimbursable drug medicine scheme.



    First house – Financiers who did not participate in the previous year can also register for this years edition of the “First House” program in Romania, for which the state will grant a total ceiling of guarantees of one billion lei (approx. 200 million Euros). “First House” 2024, as the program is now called, is granted in lei, for the purchase of a single house, and the maximum value of the loan is 66,500 Euros for houses whose price is a maximum of 70,000 Euros. The requested advance payment is 5%, and 119,000 Euros for homes whose price is a maximum of 140,000 Euros, in this case the requested advance payment being 15%. Since 2009, when this program was launched, over 330,000 Romanians have received loans to buy a home. They were mainly young people between 26 and 35. Most of the financing was requested for apartments with an area between 50 and 100 square meters, at prices between 50,000 and 100,000 Euros. The program directly contributed to the stabilization and maturity of the real estate market and of the mortgage market.



    EU – The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, launched a strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture in the EU. The initiative does not involve the adoption of decisions, it only focuses on debates about a common vision of the member states regarding agricultural policies. The Group for Strategic Dialogue and for the Future of European Agriculture is a new platform to which all those involved or influenced by agricultural policies in all Member States, all types of farmers, consumers, environmental organizations, scientists or financial institutions have been invited to participate. The discussions take place in the context in which farmers protests are gaining momentum in several European states, such as Romania, Poland, Germany, Spain, Lithuania, the Netherlands and France. The main problems of European farmers are related to the impact of EU environmental policies and the inflow of Ukrainian agricultural products into the EU, which influence farmers productivity and competitiveness.



    Ankara — The Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan signed, on Thursday, the parliaments ratification of Swedens candidacy for NATO membership. Parliament ratified the document on Tuesday, eliminating a major hurdle in the way of expanding the Western military alliance after a 20-month delay. At this point, Hungary remains the only country that has yet to ratify the Nordic country’s NATO membership. When Sweden and Finland applied for joining NATO in 2022, Turkey surprised some members by saying the two countries were protecting groups that Ankara considers terrorists. It approved Finlands accession in April 2023 but, along with Hungary, left Sweden to wait. Ankara has called on Stockholm to toughen its stance on local members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which the EU and the US consider a terrorist group. In response, Stockholm introduced a new anti-terrorism bill that makes membership to a terrorist organization illegal. Sweden, Finland, Canada and the Netherlands have also taken steps towards relaxing the arms export policies to Turkey. Tayyip Erdogan linked Swedens accession ratification to the USs approval of the sale of F-16 fighter jets to his country. (LS)


  • January 30, 2023

    January 30, 2023

    Parliament – The Romanian senators and deputies return, this week, to Parliament, for the first parliamentary session of the year. Among the priorities on the agenda are sensitive bills, such as the one on public service pensions, which should no longer exceed the salary from the active period, or the proposals to amend the education laws, on which the parties in the government coalition have so far failed to reach consensus.



    Brussels — The Romanian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Petre Daea, participated, today, in Brussels, in the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. The agenda of talks includes important topics for agricultural producers in Romania, such as: the market situation, the bio-economy, honey labeling, the directive on industrial emissions and animal transport. In the opening of the meeting, the Swedish Presidency will make a presentation of its work program for the current semester in the field of agriculture and fisheries. European officials will receive information from the German delegation regarding the Global Forum on Food and Agriculture, which was held in Berlin on January 21.



    Health — The Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said Sunday evening on a private television station that the number of flu and viral infection cases is decreasing in Romania. According to the minister, the flu epidemic will end in approximately two to three weeks. Alexandru Rafila stated that only in the last week, the number of cases reported was smaller by 25%, about 100,000 new cases of viral respiratory infections and cases of flu, compared to 140,000 a week ago. He also stressed that there were no problems with the stocks of medicines used in viral respiratory infections, even if their consumption has increased more than usual.



    ICR – The Romanian Cultural Institute – ICR announced the relaunch of the Cantemir Cultural Partnerships and Financing Program, intended for international projects. The main aim of the program is to connect culture operators from Romania with partners from abroad. Through the Cantemir Program, previously run between 2006 – 2012 and resumed in 2023 with some changes, ICR will grant non-refundable funding for cultural initiatives in the fields of visual arts – fine arts, decorative arts, science/research and architecture, design, new media, photography, performance and performing arts – theater, music and dance.



    Ukraine — The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg requested South Korea today to increase its military aid to Ukraine. The NATO leader is in Seoul, as part of a visit that will also include Japan. According to the BBC, Stoltenberg intends to strengthen NATO ties with the Asian allies of the United States. He mentioned the war in Ukraine alongside North Koreas nuclear and missile programs and Chinas growing assertiveness as reasons of concern for both East and West. In another development, on Sunday, in Berlin, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany would not send fighter planes to Ukraine, while Kyiv continues to request weapons from the Western countries to counter the Russian invasion. On Wednesday, Berlin decided to send 14 German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and allow other European countries to supply similar tanks to Kyiv. Also on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was confident that his country could defeat Russia this year, despite Ukraines current difficulties on the battle front. ‘2023 must and will certainly be the year of our victory’ President Zelenski wrote in a social media post. At the same time, the Ukrainian leader admitted that the situation was very difficult regarding the heavy fighting in the east of the country.



    Cairo – The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is meeting today in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to discuss regional issues such as the transition to democracy in Sudan and the elections in Libya. Blinken will also address the concerns related to the observance of human rights by the authorities in Cairo. Egypt is the first stage of the tour that the US official is taking in the Middle East, at a time of escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Today, Blinken will travel to Jerusalem, where he will reiterate the US calls for calm and the US support for a two-state solution, although US officials have admitted that the resumption of peace talks is unlikely in the near future. On Thursday, an Israeli raid on a refugee camp in the West Bank left ten people dead, and on Friday a Palestinian shot dead seven people near a synagogue in Jerusalem. The US Secretary of State will also travel to Ramallah, to meet with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. (LS)

  • January 27, 2023

    January 27, 2023

    ECONOMY
    Romania reports a record-high GDP increase for last year, from EUR 240 bln in 2021 to nearly
    EUR 290 bln, according to the National Strategy and
    Forecast Commission. For this year, however, the institution estimates a
    slow-down of the economic growth from 4.9% in 2022 to 2.8%. The inflation rate
    is also expected to drop significantly by the end of this year, from 16.4% in
    2022 to 8%, and consumption growth is also predicted to drop to 2.4%, compared
    to 4.6% last year. The figures in the winter forecast, made public on Thursday,
    are not different from the ones in the autumn report, released in October.


    HEALTHCARE The number of respiratory infections in Romania dropped last
    week by almost one-quarter compared to the previous week, to 103,000 cases, the
    National Public Health Institute announced. The number is nonetheless 21%
    higher than the average weekly rate in 2015-2020. According to statistics,
    nearly 5,000 of them were flu cases. Since the start of the cold season, 36
    people died from the flu, and nearly 1.5 million people got anti-flu vaccines.


    DIPLOMACY The Romanian
    foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu had a bilateral meeting in Sibiu today with his
    Dutch counterpart, Wopke Bastiaan Hoekstra. The talks focused on Romania’s
    Schengen accession and the ongoing efforts to further this important goal. Bogdan Aurescu reiterated that Romania’s accession will help strengthen
    the security of the EU as a whole and will give credibility to the Union. In
    turn, ministrer Hoekstra reiterated the Netherlands’ active support for this
    process. Wopke Hoekstra also reconfirmed the Netherlands’ commitment to
    consolidating NATO’s deterrence and defence posture on the
    eastern flank, in the context of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, by
    contributing troops to the NATO Battle Group in Romania. The 2 officials also
    discussed the Romanian-Dutch bilateral relations. The meeting took place in the
    context of the Dutch official’s visit to Romania for trilateral political
    consultations in Bucharest, together with the French diplomacy chief Catherine
    Colonna. Ahead of the talks, the 3 ministers made a joint visit to the French
    and Dutch troops stationed at the Cincu military base as part of the NATO Battle
    Group in Romania. In
    Bucharest, Catherine Colonna will be received by president Klaus Iohannis and
    PM Nicolae Ciucă.


    COMMEMORATION
    The International Holocaust Remembrance Day, or the International Day in Memory
    of the Victims of the Holocaust, is marked every year on January 27, under a
    resolution endorsed by the United Nations in 2005. In 1945, on January 27, Allied forces liberated
    the largest Nazi extermination camp, in Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland. According
    to historians, the Holocaust resulted in the killing of 6 million Jewish people
    in Europe and millions of other ethnics by Germany’s Nazi regime. Events and activities are organised on
    this day every year at the UN headquarters in New York and UN offices around the world.
    This year’s theme is Home and Belonging. In 2022, the UN General Assembly
    adopted a resolution tabled by Israel, calling on all countries to condemn Holocaust
    denial and anti-Semitism, especially on social networks.


    TENNIS Gabriela Ruse (Romania) / Marta
    Kostiuk (Ukraine) today lost to the defending champions, Barbora Krejcikova and
    Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) 6-2, 6-2, in the doubles semi-finals of the
    Australian Open. This is the best performance for Ruse and Kostiuk in a Grand Slam
    event. Krejcikova and Siniakova hold a combined 6 Grand Slam doubles titles, 3
    of them last year alone, when they only missed the Roland Garros. In the final,
    the Czech players take on Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara, of Japan, at their first
    presence in a Grand Slam final after defeating Coco Gauff/Jessica Pegula (US). (AMP)

  • January 26, 2023 UPDATE

    January 26, 2023 UPDATE

    Growth. Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă has announced that,
    according to data from the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis, the
    Gross Domestic Product in 2022 increased by 49 billion euros compared to 2021.
    He added that, regarding the economy, the forecast for 2022 is also favorable,
    with an increase of 2.8%. The Prime Minister has also appreciated the role that foreign investments played
    in the Romanian economy last year and the effective absorption of European
    funds. Nicolae Ciucă highlighted the importance of dialogue with the
    entrepreneurial environment in the country and supporting Romanian capital. The
    Prime Minister has announced that farmers will have more than 100 million euros
    available under the state aid scheme for reducing the excise duty on diesel
    fuel used in agriculture. In turn, the
    Minister of Finance, Adrian Câciu, has stated that Romania has changed the type
    of economic engine, moving from a ‘slow’ one from the period of the COVID-19
    pandemic, to a sustainable one, based on economic incentives.














    Aid. This year, the state will
    grant aid worth 1,400 lei for the payment of energy, heat, gas or wood bills to
    certain vulnerable categories in Romania: pensioners, people with disabilities
    who have low incomes, beneficiaries of social aid and families receiving
    support allowance. There is only one condition: the net income of a family
    member should not exceed 2,000 lei (approx. 410 Euros). This aid will be
    granted as of February, by means of energy cards, which will be printed and
    distributed through the Romanian Post, based on lists submitted by the Ministry
    of Labor and Social Solidarity. According to the authorities, there are
    approximately four million beneficiaries of these cards.








    Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities have announced the intention to
    open new crossing points on the border with Romania, in the Chernivtsi region,
    to facilitate the transport of goods and the movement of people, after the latest
    traffic jams. According to the Ukrainian authorities, in addition to the
    Dyakivtsi-Rackovets crossing point, which will be put into use in the coming
    period, two more new customs points are being prepared: the one between Sepit
    and Izvoarele Sucevei and another between Rusca and Ulma. They have not been
    operating since 2010. The traffic through the Siret border crossing, which had
    recorded unprecedented values, is much smoother than at the end of last year,
    when there were queues of over 40 kilometers on the Ukrainian side, but there
    are still problems due to power cuts
    caused by the situation in neighboring Ukraine.


















    Military. Less than 20 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, the
    Leclerc tanks, the main means of attack of the French battle group deployed in
    Romania, have arrived at the Smârdan shooting ground in Galati (south-east).
    The place is hosting an extensive training exercise, for which approximately
    600 French soldiers have been mobilized, with 200 combat vehicles. The
    Smârdan exercise is the largest currently carried out by NATO on the eastern
    border of the EU. On Friday, the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan
    Aurescu, and his counterparts from France and the Netherlands, Catherine
    Colonna and Wopke Hoekstra respectively, will visit the Getica National
    Training Center in Cincu (center). According to the MFA, the program of the
    ministers’ visit will include interactions with military personnel, especially
    French and Dutch, and visits to several military facilities jointly used by the
    allied troops deployed in Romania.






    Ukraine. Now that the United States and Germany have pledged to send
    advanced tanks to Ukraine, their rapid delivery in sufficient numbers is vital
    for defense against Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, thanking the allies for their decision. The United
    States and Germany announced on Wednesday that they would send Abrams and
    Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. The decision, long awaited in Kyiv, would help the
    Ukrainian army in a potential spring counteroffensive against the Russian
    forces in the occupied territories. Moscow said that sending tanks to Ukraine would
    be a dangerous provocation.






    Infections. In Romania, last week the number of cases
    of respiratory infections decreased to a quarter the number recorded the
    previous week, down to 103 thousand. This number is, however, 21% higher than
    the weekly average between 2015 and 2020. The National Institute of Public
    Health announced that over 4,500 cases of influenza were registered, most of
    them in Bucharest. Since the start of the winter season, 36 people have died
    from the flu, and nearly 1.5 million have gotten flu shots. Some hospitals are
    still overcrowded, even though the number of cases has decreased. (MI)

  • January 23, 2023 UPDATE

    January 23, 2023 UPDATE

    MEETING The
    head of the Romanian diplomacy, Bogdan Aurescu, on Monday participated in a
    meeting of his EU counterparts held in Brussels. High on the agenda were talks
    on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which also involved the participation
    of Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba through a videoconference, as well
    as the latest developments in Sahel and other countries in West Africa. The EU
    officials also tackled the latest developments in Iran, Montenegro, Afghanistan
    and Venezuela as well as the launch of the EU mission in Armenia, which has an
    observation and monitoring mandate along the border with Azerbaijan. Aurescu
    referred to the need for carrying on the EU multi-dimensional support for
    Ukraine enabling it to cope with the cold season and a possible onslaught by
    the Russian troops. He mentioned that Romania supports the consolidation of the
    sanctions-regime against Russia by endorsing a 10th package of restrictive
    measures as well as the continuation of the assistance programmes for the third
    countries affected by the war. On the sidelines of the event, the Romanian
    official held talks with his counterparts from Italy, Belgium, Germany and the
    Netherlands. High on the agenda was Romania’s accession to Schengen.








    TENNIS Romanian – Ukrainian pair made up of Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostyuk has
    qualified for the quarters of the women’s doubles at Australian Open, the
    year’s first Grand Slam tournament after a two-set win 6-3, 6-4, against the
    Czech pair Miriam Kolodziejova/Marketa Vondrousova. The two will be next playing
    Storm Hunter of Australia and Elise Mertens of Belgium who have eliminated
    Monica Niculescu of Romania and Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland.








    COVID-19 The number of Covid-19
    infections Romania registered last week dropped as compared to the previous
    week. The Ministry of Health has reported almost three thousand infections, 500
    less than between January 9th and 15th. Almost 900 people
    have been admitted to hospitals, out of whom 111 are presently being treated in
    ICUs. 38 related fatalities have also been reported all in patients with
    comorbidities. The number of flu infections is on the rise though.








    (bill)

  • Romanian exports of medicines  temporarily on hold

    Romanian exports of medicines  temporarily on hold

    Romania obtained from the European Commission the right to temporarily suspend the distribution outside the country of certain drugs in the category of oral antibiotics and antipyretics, considering the current epidemiological context and the lack of some drugs on the market. The representatives of the Ministry of Health have explained that the measure will be applied for a period of three months and is intended to ensure the continuity of the availability of these products for the Romanian patients



    The medicines that will no longer be able to be distributed abroad, for a short period of time, are ibuprofen and paracetamol for pediatric use or amoxicillin. The health authorities say that the measure does not affect the export of medicines manufactured by Romanian manufacturers, it only puts on hold the intra-Community distribution of medicines allocated to the Romanian market. The line minister, Alexandru Rafila, says that the decision was taken to avoid a crisis in Romania, because there are countries in Europe where these products are no longer available.



    Health Minister Alexandru Rafila:


    There are no problems and we want to make sure that we will have enough medicines in the next period as well. Of course, they are not necessarily certain brands that we are used to, but that does not mean that there is no similar medicine, with exactly the same composition and exactly the same therapeutic effect. And we, the Ministry of Health, are responsible for doing everything necessary so that people have access to medicines. One doesn’t necessarily need to take strawberry flavored syrup; if there is a pediatric syrup or pediatric suppositories that contain ibuprofen or paracetamol, they are just as good.




    In recent weeks, doctors and patients throughout the country have repeatedly complained about the lack of medicines on the market. Romania is, at this moment, at the top of the wave of respiratory infections this season, and family doctors and those working in emergency units have to deal with a wave of illnesses. People seeing a doctor these days usually have respiratory infections, flu, pneumonia or, in some cases, are infected with several viruses at the same time, including Sars-CoV-2.




    The cases are also numerous among children, the number of respiratory infections increasing significantly in the first week after the start of school.In the meantime, doctors draw attention to the fact that the well-known preventive measures from the pandemic period must still be followed: wearing protective masks, avoiding crowds, ventilating collective spaces and home isolation when the first symptoms of the disease are felt. Vaccination against the flu is still recommended by specialists. Doctors estimate that the flu season could be extended until spring, and the number of respiratory infections will start to decrease only from next month, according to the forecast of the National Institute of Public Health.

  • January 19, 2023 UPDATE

    January 19, 2023 UPDATE

    Talks — The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday had a telephone conversation with his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev, the discussion mainly focusing on the subject of the accession of the two states to the Schengen area and on ways to overcome the deadlock reached in the Justice and Home Affairs Council last December. The two dignitaries reconfirmed their firm determination to continue their close cooperation in order to achieve the common goal of accession this year. They also talked about deepening cooperation in the field of internal affairs, in order to identify European solutions for the continuation of the fight against illegal migration and the efficient protection of the European Union external borders.



    Davos – Romanias Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, attends the two-day World Economic Forum hosted by Davos, Switzerland. The Romanian foreign minister will present Romanias position and role regarding security and geopolitical developments. Minister Aurescu will hold bilateral talks with government and other high-ranking officials attending the event. On Friday, Bogdan Aurescu will give a speech as part of the debate entitled A New Helsinki for the World. In his speech, Bogdan Aurescu will address the need to consolidate global dialogue in terms of security.



    Health – Almost 140,000 respiratory infections were registered during the past week in Romania, which represents an increase of more than a third compared to the previous interval, according to data published on Thursday by the National Institute of Public Health. The number of flu cases also increased, over 5,000 cases were diagnosed between January 9-15, compared to approximately 4,600 cases in the first week of the year. Since the beginning of the current flu season, 50 cases of simultaneous infection have been confirmed, with the flu virus and SARS-CoV-2 or flu virus with syncytial virus. Also one patient was reported as being infected with all three at the same time. There were 27 deaths in people confirmed with the flu virus, of whom four had co-infections.



    Schengen — Romanias President Klaus Iohannis decided to send Ambassador Emil Hurezeanu back to Vienna. He had been called to Bucharest for consultations on December 9, 2022, one day after the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in which Austria opposed Romanias accession to the Schengen area. The president made the decision on Thursday, after being called on the phone by his Austrian counterpart, Alexander van der Bellen. The head of the Romanian state thanked him for the publicly expressed support in favor of the countrys accession to Schengen and showed that the numerous messages of support from the political, economic and social environments in Austria are clear signs that Romanias place is in the free travel area and that a solution will be identified. Klaus Iohannis expressed his hope that the Austrian government will change its current position, so that the objective of Romanias accession to Schengen should be reached this year.



    Ukraine – The Border Police General Inspectorate informs that on Wednesday, 58,538 people, of whom 7,684 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania through the border points. According to a statement sent to the media on Thursday, starting on February 10, 2022, two weeks before the Russian army invaded their country, 3,348,365 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. Most of them continued their way to western European countries, but about 100 thousand, chose to stay in Romania, the Romanian authorities announced. (LS)



  • Peak of respiratory viral infections

    Peak of respiratory viral infections

    Romania is in a state of epidemiological alert, given that it is facing an avalanche of respiratory infections. The health minister, Alexandru Rafila, has recently stated that he will not declare an epidemic, as this would imply a return to “certain restrictions”, similar to those imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The health minister stated that the week from December 26 to January 1 was the third week of epidemic. Cases of flu, viral infections and pneumonia are on the rise, so more and more adults and children with symptoms are crowding in the hospital emergency rooms. As of this week, the wave of respiratory viral infections could reach its peak, given that these cases are multiplying rapidly.



    Specialists believe that most cases could be reported until February 10, and then a decrease will follow. The latest data from the Health Ministry indicate over 100,000 respiratory infections: viral infections, flu and pneumonia, detected by doctors in the first week of this year. The number is much higher than the total number of cases reported in the previous interval and almost double compared to the period before the pandemic.



    At the same time, several cases of multiple infection, with the influenza virus and the novel coronavirus, have also been confirmed in recent days, and doctors say that the risk of complications is higher than when the patient only has the flu. However, experts say that the probability of simultaneous infection is quite low. In their opinion, the main concern should be to limit the transmission of viruses in general, even of seasonal ones, which are considered less dangerous.



    Doctors and authorities remind that the protective measures applied during the pandemic have an effect in limiting the transmission of any respiratory virus and say that people should resume wearing masks in crowded spaces, if crowds cannot be avoided, and observing a rigorous hygiene of hands.



    On the other hand, in the context of the current epidemiological situation, the Association of the National Society of Family Medicine recommends the population, in case of viral infection, to seek medical advice and avoid self-medication. They draw attention that the release of antiviral medication is based on a medical prescription and that the treatment of a medical condition is based on the active substances and the dosage that a medicine contains and not on its trade name.



    Doctors warn that treatment schemes must be adapted to each individual patient, depending on age, type of virus, comorbidities, so treatments are not “universally valid”. Observing these principles will lead to rapid healing and recovery, avoiding the complications of this seasons viruses, doctors also highlighted. (LS)

  • January 12, 2023 UPDATE

    January 12, 2023 UPDATE

    SCHENGEN Romania’s Schengen accession is a
    major priority for the country, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said
    in Bucharest on Thursday. He mentioned the country counted on the support of the
    Swedish presidency of the EU. At a press conference organised by the Swedish
    Embassy to mark the start of the Swedish presidency of the EU Council on
    January 1, Mr. Aurescu also mentioned Romania’s handling of the situation
    entailed by war in Ukraine, describing Romania as a de facto guardian of EU
    security. In turn, Sweden’s Ambassador to Bucharest, Therese Hyden, pointed
    out that the Schengen file will be on the agenda of an official meeting, when
    conditions are favourable, more precisely when Austria has changed its
    position regarding Romania and Netherlands has changed its view on Bulgaria’s
    accession. Foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu also had a telephone conversation on the
    same topic on Wednesday with his Swedish counterpart, Tobias Billstrom. According
    to the Romanian foreign ministry, Tobias Billstrom emphasised that the Swedish
    Presidency was determined to be actively involved and to make all efforts for
    this goal to be met. We remind you that on December 8,
    2022, at the JHA Council, Romania was not accepted into Schengen after Austria
    voted against Romania’s joining the passport-free area, and the Netherlands
    opposed Bulgaria’s accession.


    MINORITIES Romania and Ukraine will
    initiate a consultation process regarding Ukraine’s law on national minorities,
    endorsed recently in Kyiv. The two countries’ foreign ministers, Bogdan Aurescu and
    Dmytro Kuleba, Wednesday had a telephone discussion on the topic, after a
    similar dialogue a week ago between the presidents Klaus Iohannis and Volodymyr
    Zelensky. The law triggered concerns among the Romanian authorities, as
    representatives of the Romanian community in Ukraine have not been consulted in
    drafting the document, which was endorsed without a positive opinion of the Venice
    Commission. Although the law is an improvement from the previous drafts, it
    fails to guarantee, among other things, the Romanian minority’s right to
    education in the mother tongue, the Romanian foreign ministry argues.


    FLU 15 people died from seasonal flu complications this season in
    Romania, the National Public Health Institute announced. During the first week
    of this year almost 40% more respiratory infections than in the previous week
    were reported. Drugstores still face shortages of viral infection and seasonal
    flu medication. Moreover, 7 medicines used by almost half of the cancer
    patients in the country are still not available. The health ministry promises
    Romania is not experiencing a medicine crisis and that storage facilities do
    have the drugs in stock.


    UKRAINE American aid is for the first time to reach Ukraine via the
    Romanian logistics hub in Suceava, the US Embassy in Bucharest announced. The
    shipment comprises 30 trucks with clothing, footwear, blankets, hygiene
    products, diapers and emergency kits, donated as part of a campaign launched
    last March in Utah. So far 40 tonnes of goods worth around USD 1 mln have been
    donated, as well as USD 4 mln in cash.


    TENNIS Romanian
    tennis players found out their opponents in the first round of the Australian
    Open. According to the drawing held on Thursday in Melbourne, Irina Begu will play
    against China’s Saisai Zheng, Sorana Cîrstea will take up the uncomfortable
    Kazakh player Iulia Putinteva, and Ana Bogdan will take on Anna Bondar of
    Hungary. Jaqueline Cristian will have one of the most difficult opponents – the
    American Jessica Pegula, and Patricia Ţig will be up against the Chinese Shuai
    Zhang. Romania has five players at the Australian Open, after Simona Halep was
    provisionally suspended after a positive doping test. (AMP)

  • January 9, 2023

    January 9, 2023

    SCHOOLS
    Schools and kindergartens reopened in Romania today after the winter break,
    among seasonal flu and viral respiratory infection alerts. The authorities call
    on parents not to send their kids to school if they have symptoms. The
    education and health ministries have taken measures and issued guidelines to
    prevent the transmission of respiratory viruses.


    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania is
    considering a number of projects for the forthcoming period, which have already
    been agreed on within the ruling coalition, the PM Nicolae Ciucă announced.
    Healthcare, education and investments, including the targets and benchmarks
    undertaken under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, are the main areas
    to receive special attention. The government posted for public debate a draft resolution
    on master’s, Ph. D, post-doctoral and research grants abroad. In terms of
    healthcare system improvements, the proposed measures include hospital
    revamping using EU funds.


    UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment
    rate in Romania dropped slightly, from 5.5% in October to 5.4% in November,
    according to data made public today by the National Statistics Institute. The
    number of unemployed people aged between 15 and 74 estimated for November 2022
    was 447,700, down from the 453,200 reported for the previous month and from the
    450,000 reported for November 2021. The unemployment rate is 0.9% higher among
    men (5.8% for men and 4.9% for women). Unemployment among youth under 24
    remains at a worrying 22.9%, the INS warns. The number of unemployed people
    aged 25 to 74 accounted for 74.3% of the total number estimated for November
    2022.


    CULTURE The first event in the series devoted to Timişoara – European
    Capital of Culture in 2023 takes place today, when the vice-president of the
    European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, will hand over this official title in
    a ceremony held at the Acropolis Museum in Athens. This year, the city of Timişoara
    in western Romania is one of the 3 European capitals of culture, alongside Elefsina
    in Greece and Veszprém in Hungary. The official opening of the event is
    scheduled for February 17 to 19, and throughout the year as many as 50 shows,
    concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events will bring together more than
    2,500 artists from Romania and abroad. Timişoara is included in a top of the best places to visit put together
    by the British daily The Independent. The publication
    recommends Timişoara’s Baroque buildings and historical squares, as well as art
    exhibitions, classical music concerts and jazz festivals. The mayor Dominic
    Fritz said this year’s priority is to attract both tourists, and investors.


    BORDERS As many as 302,000 people and over 75,000
    vehicles crossed into and out of Romania on Sunday. More than 92,700 people entered
    Romanian territory, including 6,880 Ukrainian nationals. This brings the total
    number of Ukrainian citizens having entered Romania since February 2022 to over
    3.27 million.
    Border checks are conducted efficiently at all checkpoints, in line with the
    national and EU legislation, and the Border Police are working at full
    capacity, the authorities announced.


    UKRAINE Wars like the one in Ukraine, where civilian areas are
    subjected to indiscriminate destruction, are a crime against God and
    humanity, Pope Francis said on Monday. In his annual speech to diplomats
    accredited to the Vatican, the Pope spoke about the war in Ukraine, with its
    wake of death and destruction, with its attacks on civil infrastructures that
    cause lives to be lost not only from gunfire and acts of violence, but also
    from hunger and freezing cold. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are withstanding constant
    Russian attacks on Bakhmut and other towns in the east of Donbas, the Ukrainian
    authorities announced today. Bakhmut is holding out against all odds,
    president Volodymyr Zelensky said in his Sunday address. The nearby town of
    Soledar is also holding out, Although there is even more destruction there and
    it is extremely hard, he added.


    TENNIS The Romanian player Sorana Cîrstea (43 WTA) was defeated today by Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil (156 WTA), 7-6, 6-1, in
    the first round of the Adelaide International 2 (WTA 500) tournament in Australia.Another
    Romanian, Irina Begu, will play in the main draw against Australia’s Storm
    Hunter. Begu reached the semi-finals of the Adelaide International 1(WTA 500), where
    she lost to the winner of the tournament, Arina Sabalenka of Belarus. (AMP)