Radio România Internațional

Tag: infection

February 8, 2022

COVID-19 36,269 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were
reported for the past 24 hours in Romania, along with 193 related fatalities,
the Strategic Communication Group announced on Tuesday. Since the start of the
pandemic 2 years ago, more than 2 million Romanians have had the disease and
over 60,000 died. Meanwhile, since the start of the vaccine roll-out in
December 2020, over 8 million people have received a full vaccination cycle,
and 2.4 million have also got the booster dose.

MOLDOVA
The number of supporters of
the R. of Moldova’s union with Romania is growing, according to an opinion poll
quoted by Radio Chişinău on Tuesday. Over 34%
of the respondents in Moldova would vote in favour of the union, says the poll
commissioned by IDIS Viitorul in Chișinău and the Institute of Political
Sciences and International Relations with the Romanian Academy. This is a
record-high number of union supporters, over 10 times higher than in 2010. According
to the same poll, which focused on citizens’ perception of the relations
between Moldova and Romania, over 62% of the people with dual citizenship would
vote for the union. However, in the case of new tensions similar to the one in
Ukraine, more people would back a military alliance with Russia (22.5%) than
with Romania (12.5%).

POLITICS The Prosecutor General’s Office announced on Tuesday that a criminal
investigation was initiated with respect to an incident in Parliament, where
the Romanian energy minister Virgil Popescu was assaulted by the co-president
of the nationalist opposition party AUR, George Simion. Popescu had previously filed
a criminal complaint against Simion. While attending a Chamber of Deputies
meeting on Monday, the Liberal minister Virgil Popescu was insulted and
assaulted by Simion. The meeting was suspended, and subsequently resumed with only
the opposition MPs from AUR and USR in attendance.

POLLUTION Romanian authorities have today launched 2 programmes, RABLA Clasic and
RABLA Plus 2022, with a combined budget of around 240 million euros. Under the
2 programmes, the Government provides subsidies for scrapping old and heavily
polluting motor vehicles. The same rules apply as in previous years, but
novelties have also been introduced. One of them is the option of using 2
vouchers obtained through scrapping used vehicles for the purchase of a hybrid
or electric vehicle.

UKRAINE The president of France Emmanuel Macron discussed with the Russian
leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday about the need for dialogue in the
context of the Ukraine standoff. At the end of the meeting, Emmanuel Macron said
all parties should behave responsibly in this crisis. He pleaded for
maintaining the current system of agreements concerning European security, and
suggested that a system of concrete security guarantees be put together for all
stakeholders. In turn, Putin said a number of ideas and proposals put forth by
the French president may pave the way for the de-escalation of the current
crisis over Ukraine. Vladimir Putin also added that Russia and France have
shared concerns regarding security in Europe. Today the French president meets
his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, in the first official
visit of a French president to that country in 24 years. Macron has repeatedly
discussed the need to deescalate tensions and to find diplomatic solutions to
the situation in the east of Europe, and emphasised that finding a political
way out of the standoff was his priority. Meanwhile in Washington, following
talks at the White House with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US president
Joe Biden said diplomacy remains the best way to settle the Ukraine crisis. He warned
however that the US and NATO will be prepared in case Russia attacks Ukraine. (tr. A.M.P.)

8 February 2022
February 7, 2022

COVID Authorities in Bucharest have today extended the state of alert in this country for another 30 days. Indoor and outdoor mask mandates are still in force and in localities where the infection rate stays under 3 per thousand, cinemas, theatres and restaurants are functioning at 50% of their capacity. In regions exceeding this rate, they are allowed to function at 30% of capacity. Roughly 17 thousand new Covid cases were reported in Romania on Monday as well as 81 related fatalities. Bucharests infection rate is on the rise and the city on Monday reported an infection rate of 32.75 per thousand. With only 8 million fully vaccinated so far, the country has the second lowest vaccination rate in the EU, after Bulgaria.

SECURITY According to Romanias Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, there is no danger for Romania to be attracted into a military conflict with the Russian Federation. “There is no need for the Romanian citizens to be alarmed that the country is to be dragged in a war nearby”, Aurescu told a private TV channel in Romania. “At this moment there is an extremely strong security umbrella, which offers all the possible guarantees for the stability and security of Romania and its citizens, namely its NATO membership, to which it adds the strategic partnership with the USA”, Aurescu has also said. In case of a military aggression against Ukraine, NATO will respond through a beefed up presence in its eastern flank while the European Union is expected to slap a series of economic and individual sanctions on Russia, some of which are going to target political leading figures in that country. According to Brigadier General Constantin Spinu, head of the Direction of Information and Public Relation with Romanias Defence Ministry, the crisis in Ukraine is not a security situation directly involving Romania or any other NATO member. Romanians and the other nations in the Euro-Atlantic space should not fear a direct threat.

MOTION The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest is today debating upon a simple motion the opposition USR has tabled against Energy Minister Virgil Popescu. According to the 51 MPs signatories of the document, suggestively entitled, Incompetence and lies are switching off the light in Romania, minister Popescu is actually putting Romanias energy security at risk and must step down. The way in which the issue of hiked energy bills has been handled so far has also been described as disastrous by the signatories who recalled the Romanians started to pay huge prices for energy and both the citizens and the economy are presently bearing the brunt of the decision made by the authorities. The motion is to be voted upon on Wednesday while the specialized committees in the Senate are this week expected to debate upon an ordinance issued by the government on capping and subsidizing electricity and gas prices. However, the main ruling parties, the PNL and the PSD havent yet agreed upon the period in which the new capping and subsidizing scheme should be applied. The social Democrats want the scheme to be applied retroactively starting January, whereas the Liberals say the move could entail constitutionality issues.

OLYMPICS Natalia Ushkina, Romanias representative in the biathlon contest has ended the competition on the 57th position in the individual 15 kilometer race at the winter Olympics in Beijing. In the giant slalom contest, Maria Ioana Constantin also from Romania, has obtained the 45th place and another athlete from our delegation, Raluca Stramaturaru is today participating in the luge race. We recall that at the present edition of the winter Olympic Games, Romania is being represented by a delegation of 21 athletes. (bill)

7 February 2022
Steep rise in Covid-19 cases

Romania hit a new record this week in terms of new
COVID-19 cases in 24 hours-over 34,000, with the number of tests conducted also
going up significantly.

We
had predicted this development, caused by the higher transmission rate of the Omicron
compared to previous variants of the virus. We still have severe cases caused
by the Delta variant, which still accounts for 20 to 25% of the infections and
which reflects in the number of patients in intensive care, the health
minister Alexandru Rafila said.

In
fact, he expects the figure to skyrocket next week to over 40,000 daily
infection cases. A downward trend in infection might begin only after February
10, Rafila also said.

In
recent days, the testing capacity has increased substantially, as over 3,800 family
doctors around the country have registered to provide tests, and in the capital
Bucharest 30 test centres have been opened in hospitals. The authorities want this
testing procedure extended across the country.

The
largest number of new cases is reported in Bucharest and in the counties of Timiş
(south-west), Bihor (west), Iaşi (east) and Cluj (north-west). The number of
patients in hospitals and in ICUs, as well as the number of related deaths, is
also on the rise. Minister Alexandru Rafila warned that in certain counties the
capacity of healthcare facilities is stretched to the limits. In Cluj county,
68% of the hospital places set aside for COVID patients are filled, which is
the highest occupancy rate in the country. According to the authorities, when
this rate goes over 75%, schools will switch to online teaching.

After
the new record in COVID-19 cases, the health minister says that for the time
being there are no reasons to panic and schools will stay open except for the
places with clusters of at least 3 infections in each class.

In
this context, the authorities once again emphasise the importance of face
covering, of physical distancing and other hygiene measures, as well as of
vaccination.

In
fact, the National Public Health Institute has announced that over 85% of the
COVID-related deaths reported last week in Romania were among unvaccinated
patients, and over half of the Romanians who tested positive during the same
period had not received the vaccine. Of the vaccinated people who got the virus,
over half were either infected shortly after vaccination, or more than 6 months
since receiving the last dose.

Since
the start of the vaccine roll-out in Romania, 50% of the adult population have
received at least one vaccine dose, and the vaccination rate for Romania’s
total population is near 42%. (A.M.P.)

28 January 2022
Coronavirus vaccine for children

In spite of a very good
start 13 months ago, the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in Romania gradually went on
a strong downward trend, influenced by information without a scientific foundation
circulating in the public space, and unfortunately supported at times by
healthcare staff as well.

The authorities’ efforts
to encourage immunisation failed to get Romania above the last but one place in
the EU in terms of the vaccination rate. After the initial enthusiasm faded, there
were rare increases in the number of people going to vaccination centres,
either scared of the large number of infections or of the prospect of being
requested a vaccination certificate at the workplace.

The ambitious targets
announced by the authorities got increasingly hard to reach, and according to
current figures few over 8 million Romanians have at least one vaccine dose.

In the capital Bucharest nearly
67% of the people have got at least one dose of vaccine, while 7 other counties have vaccination rates between 50% and 60%, 24 counties
between 40% and 50%, and 10 counties have rates between 30% and 40%, the
coordinator of the vaccination campaign in Romania Valeriu Gheorghiță announced
last week. That was the week when Romania saw over 19,000 infection cases in 24
hours, which is more than on any other day since the start of the pandemic.

The situation is
not yet stable, with estimates pointing to a possible 25-28,000 cases per day
this week. The largest numbers of confirmed cases are in Bucharest and Ilfov County, where the demand for
testing is also high. In order meet this demand as soon as possible, the Health
Ministry, which estimates the current wave will peak in around 3 weeks’ time,
decided to open 28 testing centres in as many hospitals.

A feature of this
pandemic wave is the large number of infected children-some 8-9% of the
patients in hospitals are kids. A reason for that may be the change in the
rules governing online teaching, which is now only permitted if 75% of the places
for COVID patients in hospitals are filled.

On the other hand, on January
26 Romania is set to begin vaccination for children aged 5 to 11. The dedicated
online platform allowed for children vaccination appointments to be made as of January
13, and several thousand requests have already been registered. (A.M.P.)

25 January 2022
January 22, 2022 UPDATE

COVID-19 19,371 new Covid cases and 48 related deaths were reported in Romania on Saturday. The number of fatalities is over 10 times smaller than at the peak of the previous wave of the pandemic, but the infection rate continues to grow, reaching 8.77 per thousand in Bucharest. The highest SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in the capital city (16.54 per thousand) was reached on 22nd October last year. The worst-case scenario considered by the authorities predicts up to 70,000 new cases per day in the first half of February. The health minister Alexandru Rafila says that 173 outpatient Covid-19 evaluation centres are already operational across the country, out of a planned 230.

CELEBRATION The government of Romania celebrated on Saturday 160 years since the first government of Romania was formed, after the union of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia was officially recognised. On this occasion, on the walls of Victoria Palace in the capital city Bucharest, which hosts the head offices of the government of Romania, images were projected during the evening, which are relevant for this milestone in Romanian history, such as the Romanian flag, the date when the first government of Romania was formed, namely 22nd of January, 1862 and the name of the countrys first prime minister, Barbu Catargiu. On Monday, which is a national holiday in Romania, 163 years since the union of the Romanian Principalities will be marked. On 24th January 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, elected ruler of Moldavia the previous week, was unanimously elected sovereign of Wallachia as well, and proclaimed ruler of the United Principalities. During his rule, the institutional foundations were laid for modern Romania.

STRIKE Romanias capital city Bucharest found itself without above-ground public transportation means on Saturday as well. It was 3rd consecutive day of strike for the Bucharest Transport Corporation, although a court ruled the protest illegal. Unions stand by their demands, which include pay raises and the resignation of the corporations CEO. The drivers who refuse to work risk having their employment contracts terminated, said the Bucharest mayor general Nicusor Dan. He also said the City Hall made available a toll-free number for drivers to report whether they are prevented by their colleagues from going to work, and added that a criminal case has been opened in this respect. Meanwhile, the government is facing demands from trade unions in public education and healthcare as well.

NATO On Friday NATO rejected Russias request for the pull-out of the Alliances troops in Bulgaria and Romania, and denounced the concept of spheres of influence, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said. Russia requested guarantees from the US and NATO that the Alliance would not enlarge further eastwards, and demanded the withdrawal of the troops and equipment deployed to the countries that have joined the organisation since 1997. Also on Friday, the Pentagon announced a large-scale NATO naval exercise in the Mediterranean, amid tensions with Russia, which also announced major naval manoeuvres, AFP reports. Polands PM Mateusz Morawiecki called on European leaders to take a firm and united stand against Russia, in the context of fears that Moscow might plan an invasion of Ukraine. NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will provide Ukraine with US-made anti-armour and anti-aircraft missiles, the defence ministers of the 3 countries announced in a joint statement. In Romania, president Klaus Iohannis has called a meeting of the Supreme Defence Council on Wednesday. The meeting will focus on the security situation at the Black Sea and on NATOs eastern flank, and measures to develop resilience and response capabilities related to the new security challenges.

TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep qualified in the round of 16 of the Australian Open, after defeating Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, 6-2, 6-1, in the 3rd round of the tournament in Melbourne on Saturday. Halep (15 WTA and 14th seed), won the match in 64 minutes. It was the 8th consecutive win for the Romanian player this season. In the next round Simona Halep takes on Alizé Cornet of France (61 WTA). Also on Saturday, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea, won in the 3rd round against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, seed no 10. In the next round, Sorana Cîrstea will take on Iga Swiatek of Poland (9 WTA). (tr. A.M. Popescu)

22 January 2022
January 22, 2022

COVID-19 19,371
new Covid cases and 48 related deaths have been reported in Romania today. The
number of fatalities is over 10 times smaller than at the peak of the previous
wave of the pandemic, but the infection rate continues to grow, reaching 8.77
per thousand in Bucharest. The highest SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in the capital
city (16.54 per thousand) was reached on 22nd October last year. The
worst-case scenario considered by the authorities predicts up to 70,000 new
cases per day in the first half of February. The health minister Alexandru
Rafila says that 173 outpatient Covid-19 evaluation centres are already
operational across the country, out of a planned 230.

NATO On Friday
NATO rejected Russia’s request for the pull-out of the Alliance’s troops in
Bulgaria and Romania, and denounced the concept of spheres of influence, NATO
spokesperson Oana Lungescu said. Russia requested guarantees from the US and
NATO that the Alliance would not enlarge further eastwards, and demanded the
withdrawal of the troops and equipment deployed to the countries that have
joined the organisation since 1997. Also on Friday, the Pentagon announced a
large-scale NATO naval exercise in the Mediterranean, amid tensions with
Russia, which also announced major naval manoeuvres, AFP reports. Poland’s PM
Mateusz Morawiecki called on European leaders to take a firm and united stand
against Russia, in the context of fears that Moscow might plan an invasion of
Ukraine. NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will provide Ukraine with
US-made anti-armour and anti-aircraft missiles, the defence ministers of the 3
countries announced in a joint statement. In Romania, president Klaus Iohannis
has called a meeting of the Supreme Defence Council on Wednesday. The meeting
will focus on the security situation at the Black Sea and on NATO’s eastern
flank, and measures to develop resilience and response capabilities related to
the new security challenges.

CELEBRATION
The government of Romania celebrates today 160 years since the first government
of Romania was formed, after the union of the principalities of Moldavia and
Wallachia was officially recognised. On this occasion, on the walls of Victoria
Palace in the capital city Bucharest, which hosts the head offices of the
government of Romania, images will be projected during the evening, which are
relevant for this milestone in Romanian history, such as the Romanian flag, the
date when the first government of Romania was formed, namely 22nd of
January, 1862 and the name of the country’s first prime minister, Barbu
Catargiu. On Monday, which is a national holiday in Romania, 163 years since
the union of the Romanian Principalities will be marked. On 24th
January 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, elected ruler of Moldavia the previous week,
was unanimously elected sovereign of Wallachia as well, and proclaimed ruler of
the United Principalities. During his rule, the institutional foundations were
laid for modern Romania.

SOCIAL Romania’s capital city Bucharest finds itself without above-ground public
transportation means on Saturday as well. It is for 3rd consecutive
day of strike for the Bucharest Transport Corporation, although a court ruled
the protest illegal. Unions stand by their demands, which include pay raises
and the resignation of the corporation’s CEO. Meanwhile, the government and
trade unions in public education are working to reach an agreement by 4th
February, following a first round of negotiations after teachers went on strike
on Wednesday. Unionists want pay raises, additional staff to be employed, and
6% of GDP to be earmarked for public education. Public healthcare unions are
also to discuss their demands next week with officials from the healthcare,
finances and labour ministries.

TENNIS The
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep qualified in the round of 16 of the
Australian Open, after defeating Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, 6-2, 6-1, in the
3rd round of the tournament in Melbourne today. Halep (15 WTA and 14th
seed), won the match in 64 minutes. It was the 8th consecutive win
for the Romanian player this season. In the next round Simona Halep takes on Alizé Cornet of France (61 WTA). Also
today, another Romanian, Sorana Cîrstea, is playing in the 3rd round
against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, seed no 10. In the women’s doubles,
Jaqueline Cristian (Romania) / Andrea Petkovic (Germany) qualified in the 8th-finals,
having defeated the Slovenians Kaja Juvan / Tamara Zidansek, 6-4, 6-0, and are
next to play agaist Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) / Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spain). (tr. A.M. Popescu)

22 January 2022
Eight million people immunized in Romania

Romania has reached the threshold of 8 million people immunized with a least one dose of the anti-Covid vaccine, ranking last but one in the EU in this respect, with most of its population being reluctant to immunization. The number of people who get vaccinated at this period is small, in spite of Romania having has enough stocks of all vaccines approved in the EU. These vaccines were ordered, purchased and distributed via the European Union, and the country found itself in the position of having unused doses, which could have expired. For this reason, Romania sold or donated some of the surplus. The most recent such example is Germany having purchased from Romania 5 million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, to speed up vaccination with the booster dose. These vaccines will be available in Germany starting January 24, according to German health authorities. Romania also sold or donated anti-Covid vaccines to countries like Denmark, the Republic of Moldova, South Korea, Egypt and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, there is sustained community transmission of the Omicron variant in Romania, according to the National Statistics Institute. Almost half of the new cases had no contact with a person diagnosed with Covid. Some 203 cases of infection with Omicron were confirmed in the past week, this strain being identified in about two thirds of the sequenced samples. Romania now has one of the fastest growing numbers of new Covid-19 infections in Europe, but less than 4% of them require hospitalization, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said. He also said that a new system was put in place, which allows patients to be tested and examined by general practitioners. Also, people with moderate forms of the disease can go to one of the 230 outpatient medical centers for investigations, X-ray and CT scans, depending on the case, and some of them will receive anti-viral medication or be referred to hospitals if they need oxygen or more complex medical care.

The head of the Victor Babes Hospital of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Simin Florescu, has warned that the 5th pandemic wave is in full swing in Romania and that unvaccinated people are in danger. The number of hospitalizations is growing, having doubled from the previous days, Simin Florescu also said. (EE)

12 January 2022
January 10, 2021

COVID-19 Over 4,100 new COVID-19 cases and 16 related fatalities were reported on Monday out of around 30,700 tests. At least 400 patients are in intensive care. In 11 cities the COVID-19 infection rate is above 3 per thousand, with the capital city Bucharest and Ilfov County in the south now on the yellow list, alongside Cluj (north-west), with rates of over 2 per thousand. Meanwhile, the vaccination rate remains low. Only 2,700 people got the first dose in the last 24 hours, nearly 3 times below the average of the last few days. So far, approx. 42% of the population have received at least one vaccine dose. The spread of the Omicron variant triggered a number of protection measures. 160 outpatient evaluation centres will be operational as of this week, to reduce pressure on hospitals.

INTEREST The Board of the National Bank of Romania may decide today to further raise the policy interest rate, currently standing at 1.75% per year. The increase is expected, given the rise of the inflation rate in Romania and abroad. The policy interest rate was last increased in November, but only by 0.25%, which is less than analysts had expected.

DIPLOMACY Romanias foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu has talks today with his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi in Bucharest. The visit takes place in the context of recent positive developments in bilateral relations, including Islamabads support for the Romanian authorities efforts to evacuate Romanian and Allied citizens as well as 156 vulnerable Afghan nationals from Afghanistan in August and September 2021. The 2 officials are to discuss means to strengthen bilateral relations, to consolidate political dialogue and economic cooperation. A cooperation agreement between the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Association of Pakistani Chambers of Commerce and Industry, as well as a framework agreement on student exchanges between the Polytechnic University in Bucharest and the University of Islamabad are some of the documents signed during this visit.

KAZAKHSTAN Monday is a day of national mourning for the victims of the recent violent protests in Kazakhstan, where the situation seems to have stabilised. However, president Kassym Tokayev carried on removing suspected opponents from the countrys security services, with 2 more top-level officials dismissed. They were the deputies of the former head of the National Security Committee, Karim Masimov, dismissed and arrested last week on charges of treason. Masimov was an ally of former president Nursultan Nazarbaev. The latter stepped down in 2019, but he preserved control on key posts until a few days ago. The crisis in Kazakhstan started early this month, after gas prices were raised. The originally peaceful protests quickly spiralled into violent clashes resulting in human casualties and many buildings damaged, especially in the countrys economic centre Almaty. Thousands were arrested. Tokaev requested and received the support of a military alliance headed by Russia, whose troops are currently protecting strategic sites in Kazakhstan.

TALKS Talks are held in Geneva, Switzerland today by US and Russian officials over the situation in Ukraine. The parties have voiced reserves with respect to a prospective compromise. Russia said on Friday it would not yield to pressure, and warned that talks may be suspended, while Washington said hopes for success were rather low. The talks take place amid worries over Russias military build-up close to its border with Ukraine and fears that Moscow may once again attack the country, after having occupied and annexed Crimea in 2014. Ukraine is seeking NATO membership, but Moscow wants guarantees that NATO would not continue to expand eastwards. The meeting in Geneva will be followed this week by talks between Russian and NATO officials in Brussels, while an OSCE meeting due in Vienna is also scheduled to focus on the situation in Ukraine.

HANDBALL Romanias national mens handball team qualified into the second round of the 2023 World Championship qualifiers, after defeating the Republic of Moldova 33-23, on Sunday night, at home in Cluj-Napoca, in the last match of the first preliminary round, Group 3. In the previous group matches, Romania defeated Israel 33-30, which in turn beat Moldova 42-31. Romania came out 1st with 6 points, followed by Israel (4), Moldova (2), and Cyprus, (0). Cyprus was unable to take part in the tournament because of a COVID-19 outbreak in its team, and all its games were forfeited with a score of 10-0 for the opposing team. The top 2 teams in each group moved into the second round of the qualifiers. Four times a world champion, Romania has so far taken part in 14 mens handball World Championships, but its last participation dates back to 2011. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

10 January 2022
January 10, 2021

COVID-19 Over 4,100 new COVID-19 cases and 16 related fatalities were reported on Monday out of around 30,700 tests. At least 400 patients are in intensive care. In 11 cities the COVID-19 infection rate is above 3 per thousand, with the capital city Bucharest and Ilfov County in the south now on the yellow list, alongside Cluj (north-west), with rates of over 2 per thousand. Meanwhile, the vaccination rate remains low. Only 2,700 people got the first dose in the last 24 hours, nearly 3 times below the average of the last few days. So far, approx. 42% of the population have received at least one vaccine dose. The spread of the Omicron variant triggered a number of protection measures. 160 outpatient evaluation centres will be operational as of this week, to reduce pressure on hospitals.

INTEREST The Board of the National Bank of Romania may decide today to further raise the policy interest rate, currently standing at 1.75% per year. The increase is expected, given the rise of the inflation rate in Romania and abroad. The policy interest rate was last increased in November, but only by 0.25%, which is less than analysts had expected.

DIPLOMACY Romanias foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu has talks today with his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi in Bucharest. The visit takes place in the context of recent positive developments in bilateral relations, including Islamabads support for the Romanian authorities efforts to evacuate Romanian and Allied citizens as well as 156 vulnerable Afghan nationals from Afghanistan in August and September 2021. The 2 officials are to discuss means to strengthen bilateral relations, to consolidate political dialogue and economic cooperation. A cooperation agreement between the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Association of Pakistani Chambers of Commerce and Industry, as well as a framework agreement on student exchanges between the Polytechnic University in Bucharest and the University of Islamabad are some of the documents signed during this visit.

KAZAKHSTAN Monday is a day of national mourning for the victims of the recent violent protests in Kazakhstan, where the situation seems to have stabilised. However, president Kassym Tokayev carried on removing suspected opponents from the countrys security services, with 2 more top-level officials dismissed. They were the deputies of the former head of the National Security Committee, Karim Masimov, dismissed and arrested last week on charges of treason. Masimov was an ally of former president Nursultan Nazarbaev. The latter stepped down in 2019, but he preserved control on key posts until a few days ago. The crisis in Kazakhstan started early this month, after gas prices were raised. The originally peaceful protests quickly spiralled into violent clashes resulting in human casualties and many buildings damaged, especially in the countrys economic centre Almaty. Thousands were arrested. Tokaev requested and received the support of a military alliance headed by Russia, whose troops are currently protecting strategic sites in Kazakhstan.

TALKS Talks are held in Geneva, Switzerland today by US and Russian officials over the situation in Ukraine. The parties have voiced reserves with respect to a prospective compromise. Russia said on Friday it would not yield to pressure, and warned that talks may be suspended, while Washington said hopes for success were rather low. The talks take place amid worries over Russias military build-up close to its border with Ukraine and fears that Moscow may once again attack the country, after having occupied and annexed Crimea in 2014. Ukraine is seeking NATO membership, but Moscow wants guarantees that NATO would not continue to expand eastwards. The meeting in Geneva will be followed this week by talks between Russian and NATO officials in Brussels, while an OSCE meeting due in Vienna is also scheduled to focus on the situation in Ukraine.

HANDBALL Romanias national mens handball team qualified into the second round of the 2023 World Championship qualifiers, after defeating the Republic of Moldova 33-23, on Sunday night, at home in Cluj-Napoca, in the last match of the first preliminary round, Group 3. In the previous group matches, Romania defeated Israel 33-30, which in turn beat Moldova 42-31. Romania came out 1st with 6 points, followed by Israel (4), Moldova (2), and Cyprus, (0). Cyprus was unable to take part in the tournament because of a COVID-19 outbreak in its team, and all its games were forfeited with a score of 10-0 for the opposing team. The top 2 teams in each group moved into the second round of the qualifiers. Four times a world champion, Romania has so far taken part in 14 mens handball World Championships, but its last participation dates back to 2011. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

10 January 2022
New calls for vaccination

The COVID-19 pandemic has stayed on a
downward trend in Romania for several weeks. Both the number of new cases, and
the number of patients in hospitals and of fatalities have been decreasing.

In this context, interest in vaccination is also decreasing: numbers are
now significantly below the daily average of 16,000 people who got their first
dose of the vaccine last week.

Nearly a year since the start of the vaccine roll-out, some 7.5 million
Romanians are fully vaccinated, which is much less than half the eligible
population of over 12 years of age.

The coordinator of the national vaccination programme, Valeriu
Gheorghiţă, hopes however that a vaccination rate of at least 50% will be
reached by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Romanian authorities once again urge people to get vaccinated
and to observe protection measures. The PM Nicolae Ciucă and the new health
minister, Alexandru Rafila, have called for support for vaccination from
religious denominations. They also discussed with local religious leaders about
introducing the digital certificate as a prerequisite for access to churches
and other places of worship.

In turn, the representatives of various religious denominations
requested that citizens be allowed to take part in religious services without a
digital certificate. PM Nicolae Ciucă promised that a decision will be made by
the end of the month.

Nicolae Ciucă: We had talks and representatives of
religious denominations requested that citizens be free to attend religious services
without a compulsory digital certificate. We asked religious officials to help us
save as many lives as possible.

In turn, Alexandru Rafila believes people should attend religious
services without being required to have a COVID certificate, because religious freedom
is essential.

Alexandru Rafila: I believe this is ultimately a
political decision, and that it should be made within a consultative and
inclusive mechanism, rather than as a discretionary policy. It should be a
decision which is known, understood and observed by everybody, and religious
freedom is one of the essential elements. We cannot speak about this in the same
terms as access to essential shops, let’s say. We believe access to religious
services should take this into account.

As for making vaccination compulsory, as discussed by some European
Commission representatives, Alexandru Rafila believes each member state is
entitled to have its own public health policies. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

3 December 2021
New calls for vaccination

The COVID-19 pandemic has stayed on a
downward trend in Romania for several weeks. Both the number of new cases, and
the number of patients in hospitals and of fatalities have been decreasing.

In this context, interest in vaccination is also decreasing: numbers are
now significantly below the daily average of 16,000 people who got their first
dose of the vaccine last week.

Nearly a year since the start of the vaccine roll-out, some 7.5 million
Romanians are fully vaccinated, which is much less than half the eligible
population of over 12 years of age.

The coordinator of the national vaccination programme, Valeriu
Gheorghiţă, hopes however that a vaccination rate of at least 50% will be
reached by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Romanian authorities once again urge people to get vaccinated
and to observe protection measures. The PM Nicolae Ciucă and the new health
minister, Alexandru Rafila, have called for support for vaccination from
religious denominations. They also discussed with local religious leaders about
introducing the digital certificate as a prerequisite for access to churches
and other places of worship.

In turn, the representatives of various religious denominations
requested that citizens be allowed to take part in religious services without a
digital certificate. PM Nicolae Ciucă promised that a decision will be made by
the end of the month.

Nicolae Ciucă: We had talks and representatives of
religious denominations requested that citizens be free to attend religious services
without a compulsory digital certificate. We asked religious officials to help us
save as many lives as possible.

In turn, Alexandru Rafila believes people should attend religious
services without being required to have a COVID certificate, because religious freedom
is essential.

Alexandru Rafila: I believe this is ultimately a
political decision, and that it should be made within a consultative and
inclusive mechanism, rather than as a discretionary policy. It should be a
decision which is known, understood and observed by everybody, and religious
freedom is one of the essential elements. We cannot speak about this in the same
terms as access to essential shops, let’s say. We believe access to religious
services should take this into account.

As for making vaccination compulsory, as discussed by some European
Commission representatives, Alexandru Rafila believes each member state is
entitled to have its own public health policies. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

3 December 2021
November 29, 2021

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced today 1,096 new
COVID-19 cases for the last 24 hours, some 450 cases
less than a week ago. Another 107 Covid-related fatalities have also been
reported, 15 of them from a previous date. Meanwhile, in the capital Bucharest
the infection rate dropped to 1.95 cases per thousand. A Tarom airliner
is scheduled to repatriate the 36 Romanian nationals stranded in South Africa,
after flights to and from that country were suspended in an attempt to prevent
the spread of the new
coronavirus variant Omicron.

HOLIDAY As
of this past weekend Romanians are enjoying a short holiday. With Tuesday,
November 30th and Wednesday, December 1 official bank holidays, the
government decided to make Monday a non-working day as well. Many Romanians
chose to spend these days off in mountain or spa resorts, but city breaks in
historical locations were also popular choices. On Tuesday, November 30,
Orthodox Romanians celebrate St. Andrew, the patron saint of Romania. He spread
the word of God in today’s Dobrogea, on the Black Sea coast. More than 900,000
Romanians are named after him. On Wednesday, December 1, on Romania’s National
Day, military parades and ceremonies will be held across the country, including
in the capital Bucharest. Because of the pandemic, however, these events will be
low-key. In many Romanian cities holiday street lights will be turned on that
evening and Christmas fairs will be opened.

HANUKKAH The Hanukkah tradition reinforces faith and hope among the
members of the Jewish community, said the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, in
a message occasioned by this holiday. The Romanian official also mentioned in
this context Romania’s commitment to preventing and fighting anti-Semitism. In
turn, the PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu
took part on Sunday night at the National Opera House in Bucharest in a
ceremony in which the first Hanukkah candle was lit. The 2 officials also
mention that Israel is an important ally for Romania. The Festival of Lights, as the Hanukkah is also
known, lasts for 8 days and commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent
rededication of the Second Temple following a historic battle for the Jewish
people in the 2nd century BCE.

MIGRANTS The president of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen, and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg,
promised to strengthen cooperation against the hybrid threats coming from
Belarus and Rusia. The 2 officials Sunday made a joint visit to Lithuania and
Latvia, which alongside Poland are facing an inflow of illegal migrants. Ursula
Von der Leyen and Jens Stoltenberg accused Minsk of orchestrating the migrant
crisis, viewed as a hybrid threat against the EU, but Belarus dismissed the
accusations. The visit of the 2 officials comes ahead of a meeting of NATO
foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Latvia. Also attending will be
the US secretary of state Antony Blinken. The participants in the meeting are
expected to voice concerns over the Russian military build-up near the
Ukrainian border.

OMICRON World Health Organisation member states are
analysing for the next 3 days a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
WHO has warned today that the new variant, Omicron, poses
a very high global riskof infection surges, but has also emphasised that many uncertainties still
exist with respect to the dangers and the transmission rate of this variant. G7
health ministers are taking part in an online conference on the Omicron
variant, first identified in South Africa. Omicron has been found in other
parts of the world, including the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia’. Several
countries have already suspended flights to and from countries in the south of
Africa, in an effort to prevent the variant from spreading. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

29 November 2021
November 29, 2021

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced today 1,096 new
COVID-19 cases for the last 24 hours, some 450 cases
less than a week ago. Another 107 Covid-related fatalities have also been
reported, 15 of them from a previous date. Meanwhile, in the capital Bucharest
the infection rate dropped to 1.95 cases per thousand. A Tarom airliner
is scheduled to repatriate the 36 Romanian nationals stranded in South Africa,
after flights to and from that country were suspended in an attempt to prevent
the spread of the new
coronavirus variant Omicron.

HOLIDAY As
of this past weekend Romanians are enjoying a short holiday. With Tuesday,
November 30th and Wednesday, December 1 official bank holidays, the
government decided to make Monday a non-working day as well. Many Romanians
chose to spend these days off in mountain or spa resorts, but city breaks in
historical locations were also popular choices. On Tuesday, November 30,
Orthodox Romanians celebrate St. Andrew, the patron saint of Romania. He spread
the word of God in today’s Dobrogea, on the Black Sea coast. More than 900,000
Romanians are named after him. On Wednesday, December 1, on Romania’s National
Day, military parades and ceremonies will be held across the country, including
in the capital Bucharest. Because of the pandemic, however, these events will be
low-key. In many Romanian cities holiday street lights will be turned on that
evening and Christmas fairs will be opened.

HANUKKAH The Hanukkah tradition reinforces faith and hope among the
members of the Jewish community, said the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, in
a message occasioned by this holiday. The Romanian official also mentioned in
this context Romania’s commitment to preventing and fighting anti-Semitism. In
turn, the PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu
took part on Sunday night at the National Opera House in Bucharest in a
ceremony in which the first Hanukkah candle was lit. The 2 officials also
mention that Israel is an important ally for Romania. The Festival of Lights, as the Hanukkah is also
known, lasts for 8 days and commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent
rededication of the Second Temple following a historic battle for the Jewish
people in the 2nd century BCE.

MIGRANTS The president of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen, and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg,
promised to strengthen cooperation against the hybrid threats coming from
Belarus and Rusia. The 2 officials Sunday made a joint visit to Lithuania and
Latvia, which alongside Poland are facing an inflow of illegal migrants. Ursula
Von der Leyen and Jens Stoltenberg accused Minsk of orchestrating the migrant
crisis, viewed as a hybrid threat against the EU, but Belarus dismissed the
accusations. The visit of the 2 officials comes ahead of a meeting of NATO
foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Latvia. Also attending will be
the US secretary of state Antony Blinken. The participants in the meeting are
expected to voice concerns over the Russian military build-up near the
Ukrainian border.

OMICRON World Health Organisation member states are
analysing for the next 3 days a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
WHO has warned today that the new variant, Omicron, poses
a very high global riskof infection surges, but has also emphasised that many uncertainties still
exist with respect to the dangers and the transmission rate of this variant. G7
health ministers are taking part in an online conference on the Omicron
variant, first identified in South Africa. Omicron has been found in other
parts of the world, including the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia’. Several
countries have already suspended flights to and from countries in the south of
Africa, in an effort to prevent the variant from spreading. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

29 November 2021
November 29, 2021

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced today 1,096 new
COVID-19 cases for the last 24 hours, some 450 cases
less than a week ago. Another 107 Covid-related fatalities have also been
reported, 15 of them from a previous date. Meanwhile, in the capital Bucharest
the infection rate dropped to 1.95 cases per thousand. A Tarom airliner
is scheduled to repatriate the 36 Romanian nationals stranded in South Africa,
after flights to and from that country were suspended in an attempt to prevent
the spread of the new
coronavirus variant Omicron.

HOLIDAY As
of this past weekend Romanians are enjoying a short holiday. With Tuesday,
November 30th and Wednesday, December 1 official bank holidays, the
government decided to make Monday a non-working day as well. Many Romanians
chose to spend these days off in mountain or spa resorts, but city breaks in
historical locations were also popular choices. On Tuesday, November 30,
Orthodox Romanians celebrate St. Andrew, the patron saint of Romania. He spread
the word of God in today’s Dobrogea, on the Black Sea coast. More than 900,000
Romanians are named after him. On Wednesday, December 1, on Romania’s National
Day, military parades and ceremonies will be held across the country, including
in the capital Bucharest. Because of the pandemic, however, these events will be
low-key. In many Romanian cities holiday street lights will be turned on that
evening and Christmas fairs will be opened.

HANUKKAH The Hanukkah tradition reinforces faith and hope among the
members of the Jewish community, said the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, in
a message occasioned by this holiday. The Romanian official also mentioned in
this context Romania’s commitment to preventing and fighting anti-Semitism. In
turn, the PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu
took part on Sunday night at the National Opera House in Bucharest in a
ceremony in which the first Hanukkah candle was lit. The 2 officials also
mention that Israel is an important ally for Romania. The Festival of Lights, as the Hanukkah is also
known, lasts for 8 days and commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent
rededication of the Second Temple following a historic battle for the Jewish
people in the 2nd century BCE.

MIGRANTS The president of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen, and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg,
promised to strengthen cooperation against the hybrid threats coming from
Belarus and Rusia. The 2 officials Sunday made a joint visit to Lithuania and
Latvia, which alongside Poland are facing an inflow of illegal migrants. Ursula
Von der Leyen and Jens Stoltenberg accused Minsk of orchestrating the migrant
crisis, viewed as a hybrid threat against the EU, but Belarus dismissed the
accusations. The visit of the 2 officials comes ahead of a meeting of NATO
foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Latvia. Also attending will be
the US secretary of state Antony Blinken. The participants in the meeting are
expected to voice concerns over the Russian military build-up near the
Ukrainian border.

OMICRON World Health Organisation member states are
analysing for the next 3 days a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
WHO has warned today that the new variant, Omicron, poses
a very high global riskof infection surges, but has also emphasised that many uncertainties still
exist with respect to the dangers and the transmission rate of this variant. G7
health ministers are taking part in an online conference on the Omicron
variant, first identified in South Africa. Omicron has been found in other
parts of the world, including the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia’. Several
countries have already suspended flights to and from countries in the south of
Africa, in an effort to prevent the variant from spreading. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

29 November 2021
November 29, 2021

COVID-19 Romanian authorities announced today 1,096 new
COVID-19 cases for the last 24 hours, some 450 cases
less than a week ago. Another 107 Covid-related fatalities have also been
reported, 15 of them from a previous date. Meanwhile, in the capital Bucharest
the infection rate dropped to 1.95 cases per thousand. A Tarom airliner
is scheduled to repatriate the 36 Romanian nationals stranded in South Africa,
after flights to and from that country were suspended in an attempt to prevent
the spread of the new
coronavirus variant Omicron.

HOLIDAY As
of this past weekend Romanians are enjoying a short holiday. With Tuesday,
November 30th and Wednesday, December 1 official bank holidays, the
government decided to make Monday a non-working day as well. Many Romanians
chose to spend these days off in mountain or spa resorts, but city breaks in
historical locations were also popular choices. On Tuesday, November 30,
Orthodox Romanians celebrate St. Andrew, the patron saint of Romania. He spread
the word of God in today’s Dobrogea, on the Black Sea coast. More than 900,000
Romanians are named after him. On Wednesday, December 1, on Romania’s National
Day, military parades and ceremonies will be held across the country, including
in the capital Bucharest. Because of the pandemic, however, these events will be
low-key. In many Romanian cities holiday street lights will be turned on that
evening and Christmas fairs will be opened.

HANUKKAH The Hanukkah tradition reinforces faith and hope among the
members of the Jewish community, said the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, in
a message occasioned by this holiday. The Romanian official also mentioned in
this context Romania’s commitment to preventing and fighting anti-Semitism. In
turn, the PM Nicolae Ciucă and the Chamber of Deputies speaker Marcel Ciolacu
took part on Sunday night at the National Opera House in Bucharest in a
ceremony in which the first Hanukkah candle was lit. The 2 officials also
mention that Israel is an important ally for Romania. The Festival of Lights, as the Hanukkah is also
known, lasts for 8 days and commemorates the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent
rededication of the Second Temple following a historic battle for the Jewish
people in the 2nd century BCE.

MIGRANTS The president of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen, and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg,
promised to strengthen cooperation against the hybrid threats coming from
Belarus and Rusia. The 2 officials Sunday made a joint visit to Lithuania and
Latvia, which alongside Poland are facing an inflow of illegal migrants. Ursula
Von der Leyen and Jens Stoltenberg accused Minsk of orchestrating the migrant
crisis, viewed as a hybrid threat against the EU, but Belarus dismissed the
accusations. The visit of the 2 officials comes ahead of a meeting of NATO
foreign ministers on Tuesday and Wednesday in Latvia. Also attending will be
the US secretary of state Antony Blinken. The participants in the meeting are
expected to voice concerns over the Russian military build-up near the
Ukrainian border.

OMICRON World Health Organisation member states are
analysing for the next 3 days a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
WHO has warned today that the new variant, Omicron, poses
a very high global risk of infection surges, but has also emphasised that many uncertainties still
exist with respect to the dangers and the transmission rate of this variant. G7
health ministers are taking part in an online conference on the Omicron
variant, first identified in South Africa. Omicron has been found in other
parts of the world, including the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia’. Several
countries have already suspended flights to and from countries in the south of
Africa, in an effort to prevent the variant from spreading. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

29 November 2021