Radio România Internațional

Tag: lockdown

  • No national lockdown in Romania

    No national lockdown in Romania

    Nine months after the first case of coronavirus was reported on its territory, Romania is in the plateau stage of the second wave of the pandemic. The alarming rise in the daily infection rate, registered two-three weeks ago, has been tempered by measures such as mandatory mask wearing both indoors and outdoors, travel restrictions during the night and online classes. A number of localities, with a sharp rise in infections, are in lockdown. People are divided over the need for lockdown. Some say restrictive measures are absolutely necessary, and that the state of emergency should have been again declared in the country, while others see the measures as abusive and say that the fact that 2020 is an election year in Romania is the only reason why a full lockdown hasn’t been imposed.



    President Klaus Iohannis made some clarifications: “I want to be very clear about this — I do not plan to support the idea of nation-wide quarantine, the so-called lockdown, after the December 6 elections. We will continue to impose only local or regional restrictions, where the situation is serious and the number of infections is rising too much.”



    At the end of a meeting during which regulations triggered by the pandemic were assessed, Iohannis pointed out that there is a clear tendency for a decrease in the number of infections at national level. The National Institute of Public Health has supplied concrete data proving that the measures taken by the authorities are effective, the head of state said, adding that people observed restrictions, which is a reason for optimism.



    However, this is not the right time to ease measures, Iohannis also said, calling on people to further observe the measures in place and spend winter holidays only together with the people they share the home with. According to the president, Romania’s anti-Covid vaccination strategy will be approved during Friday’s government meeting, and adopted by the Higher Defence Council next week, most probably on Wednesday. He said he is in favour of the anti-Covid vaccination and reminded that at EU level vaccines will be distributed proportionally, depending on the size of the population in each member country. He voiced hope that when there is conclusive data regarding the vaccine, people will no longer be sceptical about it. According to a survey conducted by the Avangarde Group of Socio-Behavioural Studies, only 30% of Romanians would agree to get the vaccine against the novel coronavirus once available. (translated by Elena Enache)



  • November 25, 2020 UPDATE

    November 25, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID-19 President Klaus Iohannis Wednesday had a meeting with Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, Health Minister Nelu Tătaru and the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, to assess and present measures aimed at managing the COVID-19 pandemic. After the meeting, president Iohannis told a press conference that a downward trend in the number of infections has been noted since November 20, as a result of local lockdowns. He added the measures remain in place, and further restrictions will be introduced where necessary. Iohannis also said the authorities are not planning to introduce a nation-wide lockdown after the general election due on December 6. Also on Wednesday, the finance minister Florin Cîţu signed a 12-million euro advance payment to the European Commission for the purchase of the COVID-19 vaccine. Romania wants to make sure it will be among the first countries to have access to the vaccine. In other news, the Romanian Red Cross has started a COVID-19 awareness raising campaign. On Wednesday, another 9,700 new COVID-19 infections and 168 related deaths were reported for the last 24 hours. Over 1,200 people are in intensive care.



    SURE Romania will receive in the ensuing days a first instalment of 3 billion euros of the loan granted by the European Commission under SURE scheme, the Romanian finance minister Florin Cîţu announced on his Facebook account. The total loan requested by Romania amounts to 4.1 billion euro. The money will cover the deficit generated by measures like furlough or flexible working hours in the context of the pandemic. Apart from Romania, another 15 EU member states have access to this scheme, including Italy, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Belgium. The SURE programme makes available a total 100 billion euros.



    INVESTMENTS 46% of the foreign investors in Romania have this year cancelled, reduced or suspended investments, while 51% made no changes to the planned projects, according to a survey made public on Wednesday. 41 out of 100 investors believe Romania will still be attractive after the end of the pandemic, in sectors like agriculture, IT and the automotive and transport industries. On the other hand, the main areas in which Romania should invest in order to increase its competitiveness include education, infrastructure and technology. At the end of last year, the biggest investors in Romania were the Netherlands, Austria and Germany. Another survey, focusing on the state of the national economy, reveals that 58% of the SMEs in the country only have reserves for the next 1-2 months, while 22% estimate their existing funds would be enough for 2-4 months.



    MEETING Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and Economy Minister Virgil Popescu Wednesday met with representatives of the hospitality sector, one of the worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The talks focused on offsetting the losses incurred by this sector. PM Orban argued in favour of extending furlough for all employees whose activity has been affected by the health crisis and introducing flexible working hours so as to better meet the needs of the hospitality industry. Consultations between the Government and HoReCa operators will continue over the coming period. The Government has so far given tax breaks and continued to pay unemployment benefits to employees in furlough. The Government has also adopted a state-aid scheme whereby hospitality businesses are to receive 20% of the turnover they reported the previous year. All restaurants are currently shut down in Romania due to the high infection rate, and restaurants with outdoor seating have few clients because of the cold weather. Business owners in the sector say their losses amount even to 80%, and expect some 100,000 jobs to be lost by the end the year.



    MARADONA World football legend Diego Armando Maradona, 60, died of a heart attack on Wednesday, international news agencies report. Maradona was struggling with depression and an alcohol addiction. Early this month he was hospitalised for routine checks, but 3 weeks ago he underwent emergency surgery for a blood clot in his brain. Diego Armando Maradona will be remembered as the footballer who scored some of the greatest goals in history. He played for Argentina for 17 years (1977-1994), scored 50 goals in 115 games and won his country its second World Cup in 1986. He retired from football at the age of 37. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • Klaus Iohannis: “Se observă o tendinţă de scădere a evoluţiei infecţiilor cu noul coronavirus”

    Klaus Iohannis: “Se observă o tendinţă de scădere a evoluţiei infecţiilor cu noul coronavirus”

    Preşedintele
    Klaus Iohannis i-a convocat, miercuri, pe primul ministru Ludovic Orban, pe
    ministrul Sănătăţii, Nelu Tătaru, şi pe şeful Departamentului pentru Situaţii
    de Urgenţă, Raed Arafat, pentru o prezentare şi evaluare a măsurilor cu privire la
    gestionarea epidemiei de COVID-19.

    După
    întâlnire, într-o conferinţă de presă, preşedintele Iohannis a declarat că, începând cu 20 noiembrie se observă o tendinţă de scădere a evoluţiei infecţiilor cu noul coronavirus, în contextul carantinării zonale.

    El a precizat că măsurile
    autorităţilor rămân în vigoare, carantinarea locală urmând să fie decisă, în
    continuare, acolo unde situaţia o va impune.

    Sunt date concrete care dovedesc că măsurile luate de autorităţi au fost corecte şi că populaţia a respectat aceste măsuri, ceea ce ne oferă motive de optimism. Este un început. Nu am învins virusul. Măsurile rămân în vigoare, a precizat Klaus Iohannis.

    Preşedintele a mai spus şi că nu
    intenţionează să promoveze instituirea unei carantine la nivel naţional după
    alegerile parlamentare din 6 decembrie.

    Eu nu intenţionez să promovez instituirea unei carantine la nivel naţional, un aşa numit lockdown, după alegerile parlamentare din 6 decembrie. Repet, nu există nicio intenţie de a intra în lockdown după alegeri. Repet aceste lucruri fiindcă sunt politicieni fără niciun fel de scrupule care încearcă să se profileze cu ştiri de tip senzaţional., a spus preşedintele Iohannis.

    Şeful statului a vorbit şi despre Ziua Națională, el a declarat că anul acesta nu va fi o paradă militară: În acest an vom onora curajul și sacrificiile înaintașilor făcând noi înșine sacrificiul de a renunța la participarea împreună la manifestările naționale.

    Am decis ca ceremonia care avea loc în fiecare an la Arcul de Triumf să fie una extrem de restrânsă, la care sunt invitați ambasadori străini, medici Va fi o ceremonie scurtă, fără paradă militară și fără participarea publicului larg, a spus preşedintele Iohannis, la Palatul Cotroceni.

  • November 24, 2020

    November 24, 2020

    COVID-19 Romanias anti-COVID-19 vaccination strategy has been finalised and will be endorsed by the Supreme Defence Council in the forthcoming period, President Klaus Iohannis announced. He added, after a meeting with healthcare experts, that an action plan has been put together and all official information concerning the vaccination campaign will be posted on a separate website. Over 7,750 new COVID-19 cases and 196 related deaths have been reported over the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to over 10,370. Since the start of the pandemic, at least 430,000 people have tested positive for the virus, more than two-thirds of whom have so far recovered. Over 1,200 patients are currently in intensive care.



    PANDEMIC The WHO welcomes the announcement regarding a 3rd anti-COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Oxford University jointly with AstraZeneca. The British researchers say the vaccine is at least 70% efficient, but that, depending on the treatment scheme, the protection rate can reach as high as 90%. Pfizer jointly with BioNTech and Moderna had previously announced efficiency rates of over 90% and of 95% respectively for their vaccines. So far 59 million people have tested positive for Sars-Cov-2 worldwide, with the global death toll standing at nearly 1.4 million. In Europe, France and Britain are planning to ease restrictions for the winter holidays.



    BUDGET The Government of Romania Monday approved the 3rd budget adjustment this year. More funds have been earmarked for healthcare and agriculture. PM Ludovic Orban said the adjustment was required in order to cover the expenditure incurred with the Covid-19 pandemic, with the increased pension benefits, flexible working hours and furlough payments and with the balancing of local budgets. The adjustment also helps financing public investments, the finance minister Florin Cîţu said in his turn. The main elements underlying this adjustment are a budget deficit standing at 9.1% of GDP and a negative 4.2% growth rate.



    CORRUPTION The National Anti-Corruption Directorate is working on a corruption-related criminal case in Sibiu (central Romania). Prosecutors are investigating the awarding of a contract for 2 modular hospital units for Covid-19 patients in the Sibiu County Hospital. During this springs state of emergency, the County Council paid some 1.2 million euros under this contract. The units, with 35-bed capacity and the necessary equipment, were opened in October. The Sibiu County Hospital and Public Healthcare Directorate are under military management as of recently. Sibiu County has the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the country, and several places in the county, including the capital city, are under lockdown.



    HANDBALL Romanias womens handball team are preparing for the European Championship hosted by Denmark between December 3 and 20. Romania is playing in Group D in the final tournament, alongside Norway, Germany and Poland, with the games taking place in the town of Kolding. Denmark is the sole host of the tournament after the second designated host, neighbouring Norway, pulled out. On November 16, only 17 days before the first game was due, Oslo announced that healthcare constraints related to the COVID-19 pandemic prevent it from organising the competition. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • Kommunen in Quarantäne

    Kommunen in Quarantäne

    Nur knapp über ein Viertel der Landkreise sind auf der Epidemiekarte immer noch gelb markiert, d.h. sie hatten in den letzten 14 Tagen weniger als drei Coronavirus-Fälle pro tausend Einwohner. Der in der Mitte Rumäniens gelegene Landkreis Sibiu hat in den letzten zwei Wochen die meisten neuen Fälle gemeldet, obwohl die Infektionsrate unter die Schwelle von 9 Fällen pro tausend Einwohner gefallen ist. In der Kreishauptstadt Sibiu, die seit sieben Tagen unter Quarantäne steht, ist die Infektionsrate zwar etwas zurückgegangen, liegt aber immer noch bei 13 Infekte pro tausend Einwohner.



    Vor diesem Hintergrund steigt die Zahl der Kommunen im Landkreis, die unter Quarantäne gestellt werden. Im Rahmen der Abriegelung dürfen die Menschen ihre Häuser nur zu beruflichen Zwecken, zur medizinischen Versorgung, zum Einkaufen von Lebensmitteln, zum Blutspenden und zum Ausführen ihrer Haustiere verlassen.

    Der Landkreis Ilfov, in der Nähe der Hauptstadt Bukarest, liegt landesweit an zweiter Stelle , was die Zahl der Infektionen betrifft, die inzwischen auf über 8 Fälle pro tausend Einwohner gestiegen ist. Folglich wurde ein Viertel seiner Ortschaften für zwei Wochen gesperrt. Bukarest hat eine Infektionsrate von über 6 pro tausend Einwohner und meldet weiterhin die höchste Zahl an Neuinfektionen, nämlich über tausend pro Tag. Die örtliche Abriegelung erweist sich als wirksame Ma‎ßnahme, sagte Präsident Klaus Iohannis und wies darauf hin, dass die Pandemie nur durch die Einhaltung der Hygieneregeln in Schach gehalten werden kann, bis ein Impfstoff zur Verfügung steht: “Die Abriegelung ist im Wesentlichen eine komplexe Ma‎ßnahme der Bewegungseinschränkung, mit der die Ausbreitung der Pandemie an einem Ort eingedämmt wird. Seit einigen Wochen gibt es bereits solche Ma‎ßnahmen, die sich als wirksam erwiesen haben. Das Problem ist nicht die Ma‎ßnahme selbst, sondern ihre wirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen, da diese Beschränkungen einen messbaren negativen wirtschaftlichen Effekt haben”.



    Rumänien meldete letzte Woche über 58 Tausend Neuinfektionen mit Covid-19, mehr als in den ersten fünf Monaten nach Beginn der Pandemie. Über eintausend Patienten befinden sich auf den Intensivstationen der Krankenhäuser und mehr als 10 Tausend Menschen sind gestorben. Die offiziellen Statistiken zeigen, dass sich die meisten Menschen sich nach der Teilnahme an gesellschaftlichen Veranstaltungen und privaten Feiern, an Familientreffen und bei Begegnungen am Arbeitsplatz angesteckt haben.

  • November 18, 2020

    November 18, 2020

    COVID-19 Romania confirmed 10,269 new Sars-Cov-2 infections in 24 hours. The total number of cases since the start of the pandemic is now over 383,000. Nearly 70% of the patients have recovered. The authorities also announced 168 deaths in 24 hours, which takes the total death toll up to 9,429. 1,174 patients are currently in intensive care. According to the National Public Health Institute, last week the number of new cases was only 2,000 higher than in the previous week. The report also indicates that since the start of the pandemic, one in 52 cases has involved medical staff. The age groups the least affected by the new virus remain children and youth up to 19 years. The average age of patients is 48, and 95.3% of the deaths have been reported among people suffering from previous conditions.



    VACCINE The Sibiu Public Health Directorate is under military management as of today. Sibiu County ranks first by infection rate in Romania, with 9 cases in 1,000 people, while in the city of Sibiu, which has been under lockdown since Monday, the rate is 13 per 1,000. Meanwhile, the authorities are preparing an anti-Covid-19 vaccination strategy, which will be made public next week. President Klaus Iohannis said the guidelines for this have been defined and asked the institutions in charge to communicate in a clear and transparent manner and to fight disinformation.



    BUDGET The Government of Romania is giving a first reading today to a bill on a new budget adjustment, the third this year, stipulating the allocation of over 205 million euros for healthcare, as well as additional funding for investments and agriculture. The funds are needed to cover the rise in expenditure with the Covid-19 containment measures, and to provide compensations to the farmers affected by this years drought, PM Ludovic Orban explained. He added that additional money will also be earmarked for local authorities, particularly those affected by the pandemic, and to town halls that have initiated investment projects and can no longer afford the co-financing.



    PROTEST Several farmers associations are protesting in Bucharest today against the authorities decision to close indoor food markets. The measure was introduced recently in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The participants also request the Government and local authorities support to keep food markets open and to provide compensation for the farmers affected by the aforesaid measure.



    GAUDEAMUS The Gaudeamus Radio România International Book fair, organized this year exclusively online, continues until Sunday, November 22nd. This 27th edition can be accessed on gaudeamus.ro, which provides information on the latest book releases and on the over 100 participating publishers. The honorary president of this years fair is Norman Manea, a Romanian-born writer living in the US since 1986.



    FOOTBALL Romanias national football team is playing against Northern Ireland in Belfast tonight, in the UEFA Nations League. The match counts towards the FIFA ranking on which the drawing for the 2022 World Championship qualifying groups will be based. On Tuesday night, Romanias U-21 team qualified into next years European final tournament hosted by Hungary and Slovenia. This is the second consecutive qualification for Romanias youth team in the continental final tournament. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • November 16, 2020 UPDATE

    November 16, 2020 UPDATE

    Fire – Inspections are underway in ICUs across Romania following the fire that killed 10 patients on Saturday evening at the Emergency Hospital in Piatra Neamt (Northeast). The patients, who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and were receiving treatment in the ICU, could not be saved despite the efforts of the medical staff. The fire was caused by a short circuit, according to preliminary searches. Another 6 patients in a nearby room are in a serious condition. The management of the Public Health Directorate in Neamt said in that in order to treat more COVID-19 patients, the ICU of the County Emergency Hospital in Piatra Neamt was reconfigured on the day of the fire, without having previously asked for an approval in this sense. Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation.





    Covid -19 Romania – The city of Sibiu, in central Romania, introduced a 2-week lockdown on Monday, after the combined contamination rate in 14 days exceeded 12 cases per one thousand inhabitants. The people of Sibiu will need documents from their work places or sworn statements to be able to travel inside or between the localities in lockdown. Shops will be open until 10 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday shops in shopping malls will be closed, except for pharmacies and food stores. People over the age of 65 can go shopping between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and religious services will be held outdoors. Over 5,000 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the past 24 hours, along with 149 deaths, which takes the total death toll to over 9,000. The number of patients in intensive care is near 1,200. PM Ludovic Orban said, after talks with the health minister, that an increase of the ICU capacity by at least 200 beds is planned for this week.





    Moldova – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis Monday had a phone conversation with the President elect of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, during which they have agreed on extending and deepening the strategic partnership for Moldovas European integration. A first step in this sense will be the official visit which the Romanian president is going to make to Chisinau in the coming period, reads a presidential administration news release. Klaus Iohannis said that Maia Sandus result represented a victory of democracy and marked a decisive step towards Moldovas irreversible European path, which Romania has permanently supported and will continue to support without reservation. In Brussels, the head of the European Council Charles Michel promised that the EU is ready to strengthen the partnership with Chisinau. In turn, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Maia Sandu, and said her victory was a clear call for fighting corruption and restoring the rule of law. The EU is prepared to support Moldova, Von der Leyen also said. The pro-European candidate Maia Sandu defeated the pro-Russian candidate Igor Dodon, in the 2nd round of the presidential election in Moldova.





    Gaudeamus – The 27th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair organized by Radio Romania started online on Monday. The event will end on Sunday and will take place exclusively online due to the new coronavirus pandemic. On the website of the event, gaudeamus.ro, you can find more than 100 companies, among which prestigious book publishers and distributors, music and educational games, with individual presentation pages dedicated to the fair. Book lovers can also access the participants virtual stands and readers can buy books online. As many as 200 events can be followed online. Writer Norman Manea, nominated several times for the Nobel Prize for Literature, is the honorary president of this edition of the Gaudeamus book fair.





    Covid-19 world – There are more than 55 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 around the world, with 1.3 million deaths reported, according to data provided by worldometers.info. The biggest number of cases and deaths from Covid-19 is reported by the US (over 11.3 million cases and around 1 million new cases in one week). India has so far reported 8.8 million cases and around 130 thousand deaths, and Brazil more 5.8 million cases with 165 thousand deaths. Europe is equally affected by the 2nd wave of the pandemic, with France and Russia having exceeded 1.9 million cases. Spain is nearing 1.5 million and Great Britain 1.4 million. Moderna announced on Monday its experimental vaccine had a 94.5% effectiveness rate in stage 3 trials. This is the second vaccine produced by an American company and having encouraging results, after Pfizers, produced jointly with BioNTech, which also reported over 90% protection in clinical trials. (tr. A.M. Popescu, L. Simion)

  • November 16, 2020

    November 16, 2020

    Fire – Controls are being undertaken in ICUs across Romania following the fire that occurred on Saturday evening at the Emergency Hospital in Piatra Neamt (Northeast) which killed 10 patients. The patients, who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and were receiving treatment in the ICU, could not be saved despite the efforts of the medical staff. The fire was caused by a short circuit, according to preliminary searches. Another 6 patients in a nearby room are in a serious condition. The leadership of the Public Health Directorate in Neamt said in a communiqué that in order the extend the ICU with a view to treating more COVID-19 patients, the ICU of the Piatra Neamt County Emergency Hospital was reconfigured on the day of the fire without having previously asked for an approval in this sense. Prosecutors have opened an in rem criminal case file.



    Covid -19 Romania — The city of Sibiu, in central Romania, has today been quarantined for 2 weeks, after the cumulated contamination rate in 14 days exceeded 12 cases per one thousand inhabitants. The people of Sibiu will need documents from their work places or self declarations to be able to travel inside the localities in lockdown or between them. Shops will be open until 10 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday shops in shopping malls will be closed, except for pharmacies and food stores. People over the age of 65 can go shopping between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and religious services will be held in the open air. We remind that in 11 counties of Romania the cumulated rate of COVID-19 infections in 14 days per 1 thousand inhabitants exceeded 5 per thousand. Vrancea county (east) remains the county with the lowest infection rate (1.64 per thousand). Over 7 thousand new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the past 24 hours, most of them in Bucharest and the counties of Constanta and Brasov. 113 deaths have been reported, with 1,169 patients currently in ICUs.



    Moldova – The Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Monday had a phone conversation with the President elect of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu during which they have agreed on extending and deepening the strategic partnership for Moldova’s European integration. A first step in this sense will be the official visit which the Romanian president is going to pay to Chisinau in the coming period, shows a presidential administration communiqué. Klaus Iohannis said that the result obtained by Maia Sandu represented a victory of democracy and marked a decisive step towards Moldova’s irreversible European path, which Romania has permanently supported and will continue to support without reservation. The pro-European candidate Maia Sandu defeated, in the 2nd round of the presidential election in Moldova, the pro-Russian candidate Igor Dodon.



    Gaudeamus – The 27th edition of the Gaudeamus Book Fair organized by Radio Romania started today online. The event will end on Sunday and will unfold exclusively online due to the new coronavirus pandemic. On the website of the event gaudemaous.ro you can find more than 100 companies, among which prestigious book publishers and distributors, music and educational games, with individual presentation pages dedicated to the fair. Also book lovers can access the participants’ virtual stands and readers can buy books online. As many as 200 events can be followed online. Writer Norman Manea, nominated several times for the Nobel Prize for Literature, is the honorary president of this edition of the Gaudeamus book fair.



    Covid-19 world — There are more than 54.8 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 around the world, with 1.3 million deaths reported, according to data provided by worldometers.info. The biggest number of cases and deaths from Covid-19 is reported by the US that exceeded 11.3 million cases of contamination. India has so far reported 8.8 million cases and around 130 thousand deaths and Brazil more 5.8 million cases with 165 thousand deaths. Europe is equally affected by the 2nd wave of the pandemic, with France and Russia having exceeded the threshold of 1.9 million cases of infection. Spain is nearing 1.5 million and Great Britain 1.4 million. In London the PM Boris Johnson is in self-isolation after having been in contact with a person that tested positive for Covid-19. In turn, Austria will undertake mass testing for COVID-19 as of Tuesday until December 6, after Slovakia conducted rapid tests for approximately 3.6 million people of the country’s total population of 5.5 million. (tr. L. Simion)

  • Nachrichten 12.11.2020

    Nachrichten 12.11.2020

    Am Donnerstag haben die Behörden in Rumänien 10.142 neue Coronavirusinfektionen in den letzten 24 Stunden gemeldet. Auf den Intensivstationen befinden sich 1.152 Covid-19-Patienten. 121 Todesfälle wurden in den letzten 24 Stunden gemeldet. Die höchste Infektionsrate weist der Landkreis Sibiu (in der Landesmitte) auf – 7,4 pro 1000 Einwohner, gefolgt von Cluj (Nordwesten) und Timis (Westen). In mehr als der Hälfte Rumäniens wurde in den letzten 14 Tagen die Infektionsrate von 3 pro 1000 Einwohner erreicht. Mehrere Städte warten auf die Entscheidung der Zentralbehörden betreffend das Verhängen der Quarantäne. Präsident Klaus Iohannis hat am Donnerstag die Präfekten aufgerufen, die restriktiven Maßnahmen entschlossen durchzusetzen. Das Staatsoberhaupt erklärte, dass die bisher getroffenen Maßnahmen gut durchdacht und korrekt seien und zu Ergebnissen geführt hätten. Besagte Maßnahmen würden aber nicht ausreichen, so Iohannis. Der Staatschef hatte eine Videokonferenz mit den Präfekten zum Pandemiemanagement abgehalten, an der auch Premierminister Ludovic Orban und weitere Regierungsmitglieder teilnahmen.



    Trotz Maßnahmen zur Abfederung der Auswirkungen von COVID-19 auf die Bildung könnte der Übergang zum Fernunterricht die bereits großen Ungleichheiten in Rumänien verschärfen, heißt es in einem am Donnerstag veröffentlichten Bericht der Europäischen Kommission. Demnach beeinflusse der sozio-ökonomische Kontext die Leistung von Schülern und Studenten erheblich und schränke die Rolle ein, die die Bildung als Garant für Chancengleichheit spielen kann. Die Europäische Kommission betont, dass die digitalen Fähigkeiten von Lehrkräften, Schülern und Studierenden verbessert und sichergestellt werden muss, dass die Schulen besser mit digitalen Geräten ausgestattet sind. Die EU-Exekutive weist darauf hin, dass die digitale Infrastruktur in Schulen insbesondere in ländlichen Gebieten nicht ausreichend entwickelt ist. Die Bildungsausgaben Rumäniens gehören nach wie vor zu den niedrigsten in der EU, wie aus dem Bericht der Kommission hervorgeht.



    Premierminister Ludovic Orban hat am Donnerstag die Vertreter des Gesundheitspersonals empfangen. Die Mitglieder des größten Branchenverbandes präsentierten dabei ihre Forderungen. Orban brachte das Bestreben der Regierung zum Ausdruck, Lösungen zu finden, sowie die Wertschätzung für die Bemühungen des medizinischen Personals zur Bewältigung der Gesundheitskrise. Der Gewerkschaftsverband Solidaritatea Sanitară“ organisierte am Donnerstag in Bukarest eine neue Protestaktion zur Verteidigung der Rechte der Gesundheitsangestellten. Die Gewerkschafter fordern, dass alle notwendigen Maßnahmen zum Schutz der Arbeitnehmer ergriffen werden, um die Zahl der Infektionen und Todesfälle aufgrund von COVID-19 erheblich zu verringern. Gleichzeitig fordern sie die Einhaltung des gesetzlichen Anspruchs auf Hinterbliebenenrente für die Kinder von im Dienst verstorbenen Kollegen, die Gewährung einer Zulage von bis zu 30% und die Zulage für die Bekämpfung der Epidemie sowie die Erhöhung der Grundgehälter.



    Der rumänische Verteidigungsminister, Nicolae Ciuca, und der Generalstabschef, Generalleutnant Daniel Petrescu, sind in Bukarest mit dem Marinestaatssekretär der Vereinigten Staaten, Kenneth J. Braithwaite zusammengekommen. Im Mittelpunkt der Gespräche standen die bilaterale Zusammenarbeit, gemeinsame Projekte der Seestreitkräfte, die Sicherheitslage in der Schwarzmeerregion und aktuelle Fragen auf der Tagesordnung der NATO. Auf dem Programm des US-Beamten in Rumänien stehen auch Besuche auf dem Militärstützpunkt 99 Deveselu, auf dem Luftwaffenstützpunkt Mihail Kogălniceanu und bei Militäreinheiten der rumänischen Seestreitkräfte im Hafen von Constanţa.

  • How effective will the new restrictions be?

    How effective will the new restrictions be?

    New restrictions have been in place in Romania starting on Monday, aimed at slowing down the surge in new infections. Among them is the obligation to wear face masks indoors and outdoors all across the country, holding calsses exclusively online, closing stores at 9 pm at the latest and banning the movement of people during the night, with several exceptions.



    Similar or even tougher measures have been adopted by many other countries, against the background of the second wave of the pandemic having gripped the planet. Romanian authorities hope to be able to limit the number of new infections in order to help the healthcare system, the intensive care units in particular, cope with the situation. But how effective will these measures be? The answers to this question can only come from the experts who have studied pandemics, from the expertise picked up since the start of the outbreak, from mathematical models and predictive calculations.



    Octavian Jurma is an epidemiologist and a researcher in Timisoara, a city hardly affected by the pandemic. He said on Radio Romania that the restrictions in place are insufficient and that tougher measures are needed: “Even if we had taken all possible measures, we would still have had another two weeks of increase in infections. It’s just like when you turn off the tap, but water continues to run for a little while longer. These measures are not aimed at completely turning off the tap, but only at slowing down the water, in the hope the healthcare system will be able to cope with it. Unfortunately, the system is overwhelmed. We will have over 12 thousand cases this week for sure, and probably 15 thousand next week.”



    Octavian Jurma believes that the best solution would have been total lockdown, just like in other countries, which could have taken us to less than 2,000 cases per day during the winter holidays. Octavian Jurma: “It is much cheaper to test people and then send them back to work than keep them 14 days in isolation and pay them medical leave. And I’m talking about these quick antigen tests that are less accurate but, at country level can ensure a return to work. Also, these tests should be coupled with a minimum period of quarantine. It would be good if we managed to at least test all people subject to epidemiological investigations. We no longer test direct contacts, but only people with symptoms. That is why one in three people tested is positive. Things are completely out of control.”


    As regards a possible vaccine, the Romanian expert believes that only a small number of doses will be available before April. (Translated by Elena Enache)


  • Rumänien im „Lockdown light“

    Rumänien im „Lockdown light“

    Seit der Nacht von Sonntag auf Montag gelten in Rumänien neue Einschränkungen des öffentlichen Lebens, nach dem das Land die Schwelle von 300.000 diagnostizierten COVID-19 Infektionen überschritten hat. Von nun an müssen Masken in allen öffentlichen Räumen, egal ob drinnen oder drau‎ßen und unabhängig von der täglichen Infektionszahl vor Ort, getragen werden. Alle Schulen gingen zum roten Aktionsplan über, das bedeutet, dass ausschlie‎ßlich Fernunterricht stattfindet. Offen geblieben sind lediglich After-School-Betreuungen und Kinderkrippen. Auch die öffentlichen und privaten Einrichtungen müssen die Arbeitsweise überarbeiten, sodass alles, was im Homeoffice erlegte werden kann, auch von Zuhause erfolgt. In Einrichtungen mit mehr als 50 Angestellten müssen Gleitzeiten eingeführt werden, Geschäfte schlie‎ßen ab heute spätestens um 21.00 Uhr. Im normalen Arbeitsprogramm dürfen nur noch Anbieter von Heimlieferungen, Apotheken und Tankstellen arbeiten. Auch der Verkehr wird während der Nacht eingeschränkt. Wer sich spät nachts auf dem Weg macht, der braucht seit gestern Nacht eine schriftliche Erklärung.



    Der Leiter der Abteilung für Notsituationen, Raed Arafat teilte mit, dass der Verkehr von 23:00 in der Nacht bis 5:00 am Morgen nur aufgrund von rechtfertigenden Reisedokumenten, Dienstausweis, vom Arbeitgeber ausgestellten Bescheinigung oder Erklärung auf eigene Verantwortung möglich ist. Davon ausgenommen sind berufsbedingten Fahrten, solche für dringende medizinische Versorgung, zur Beschaffung von Arzneimitteln, zur Kinderbetreuung, zur Betreuung älterer, behinderter oder kranker Menschen, oder in Todesfällen. Sollten all diese Ma‎ßnahmen nicht greifen, könnten schärfere zum Zuge kommen, warnte Arafat. Eine Ma‎ßnahme sorgte schon heute für Unmut — die Schlie‎ßung der Märkte und Verkaufsstände in geschlossenen Räumen. In der südostrumänischen Stadt Brăila kam zu einem Spontan-Protest. Der Bürgermeister, Marian Dragomir versuchte zu beschwichtigen und versprach auf Kosten der Stadt die Zahl der Verkaufsflächen und, mit Blick auf Weihnachten, der Häuschen in Freien aufzustocken. Er sagte auch Stromanschluss für die für Beleuchtung und Stromversorgung der elektrischen Geräte zu. Er sprach auch von einem kontrollierten Zugang zu den Märkten, damit diese wie Malls besucht werden können und somit Kleinunternehmer und Händler nicht zusätzlich leiden müssen. Bürgermeister anderer Städte zogen nach. Bereits in der Nacht von Sonntag protestierten im Bukarest, vor dem Sitz der Regierung, Mehrere Hundert Menschen gegen die neuen Einschränkungen. Die Polizei verhängten Mahnungen und Bu‎ßgelder. (Eugen Coroianu)

  • Romania goes into partial lockdown

    Romania goes into partial lockdown

    Fresh restrictions are taking effect in Romania, after more than 300,000 COVID-19 cases reported in the country since the start of the pandemic.



    Face covering is now compulsory in all indoor and outdoor public areas, regardless of the infection rate in the region. All schools have switched to online classes exclusively, although afterschool centres and nurseries will stay open.



    Public and private institutions will have to redesign their operations, so that all employees that can work from home to do so. Companies with more than 50 employees are also bound to rethink working schedules.



    All shops must be closed by 9 PM, except for home delivery units, pharmacies, and petrol stations. A curfew is in place, and special documents are required for any night travel. The head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, explained:



    Raed Arafat: “A curfew is in place between 11 pm and 5 am, and all exceptions require special documents, either service cards or company permits, or sworn statements. Such exceptions include travel for professional purposes, for medical purposes, for medicine procurement, accompanying or providing care to children, elderly, ill or disabled people, or for funeral arrangements.



    Raed Arafat also said the authorities expect the number of cases to grow, but that, if the new measures are implemented correctly, in 30 days there should be a decrease. Otherwise, further restrictions may be implemented.



    A measure met with substantial discontent was the closing of indoor food markets and fairs. Scores of local producers and vendors protested in Brăila (south-east), forcing the mayor Marian Dragomir to find alternative solutions:



    Marian Dragomir: “The City Hall will provide outdoor stalls free of charge, because this year we will no longer hold a Christmas fair. We will provide electricity connection and all retailers and display fridges will remain open outdoors. Access to the food market will be monitored and coordinated. This will help producers and traders.



    Similar measures were announced by local authorities elsewhere in the country. Several hundreds of people gathered in front of the Government headquarters in Bucharest on Sunday night, to protest the new measures. Police issued fines and warnings on this occasion. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • November 8, 2020

    November 8, 2020

    Coronavirus Ro — On Sunday the Romanian authorities announced 6,752 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, 86 deaths and 1,056 people in intensive care. New measures to prevent and limit the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus will be enforced in Romania as of Monday. Face masks become compulsory in all localities irrespective of the number of contaminations. Shops will close at 9 p.m. and enclosed marketplaces will close. Travel during the night will be banned between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. except for those people who go to work, have medical emergencies, or have to take care of children and elderly persons. All public institutions and private and state-owned companies will have to introduce the teleworking and work-from-home systems where possible. All schools will go online, but nurseries and after-school facilities remain open. Parties or meetings for various holidays and anniversaries will be banned. The emergency decree that stipulates the enforcement of these measures was published Saturday in the Official Gazette.



    Coronavirus world — The number of new coronavirus cases globally exceeds 50 million, with a death toll of more than 1.2 million. Many countries worldwide are introducing new restrictions in a bid to limit the pandemic second wave. In Europe, France, the UK, Ireland, Greece and some regions of Italy are in isolation. Moreover, Italy has adopted a new aid package to support the economy worth 2.9 billion Euros. Italy has reported almost 40 thousand new cases of coronavirus contamination in 24 hours. The French authorities reported on Saturday over 40 thousand COVID-19-associated deaths since the onset of the pandemic. The UK closed its border for those coming from Denmark. Slovakia ends on Sunday the mass testing for coronavirus. In another move, in the US, the country with the biggest number of deaths, 20 of the 50 states have announced new records of contaminations, almost 130 thousand new cases in 24 hours.



    US election – The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, on Saturday congratulated Joe Biden on his victory in the US presidential election: “I look forward to further consolidating our solid and dynamic Strategic Partnership in all its dimensions” President Iohannis wrote in a social network post. Many world leaders, EU and NATO officials have congratulated the Democrat candidate Joe Biden for his victory against the incumbent Republican President Donald Trump in the November 3 election, international news agencies report. The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg congratulated Joe Biden and expressed hope to consolidate the relations between the US and Europe. The head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, also congratulated Joe Biden insisting on the EU’s wish to rebuild a solid partnership with the US. Partial results and estimates made by the US media show Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential election. The announcement of his victory was received with enthusiasm in the US where thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate. Joe Biden thanked those who voted for him and called on them to stop treating political opponents as enemies. He confessed he entered the presidential race to heal the soul of America.



    Visit — The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu will pay an official visit to the Hague on Monday, at the invitation of his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok. The visit is part of the effort to intensify bilateral relations, especially in the context of the anniversary of 140 years of diplomatic relations in 2020. According to a Foreign Ministry communiqué, the two officials will review the current bilateral relations and will discuss their consolidation in domains of mutual interest. Minister Aurescu will talk about the management of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, about the Multiannual 2021-2027 Financial Framework and the recovery plan, the future EU-UK partnership agreement, Romania’s accession to the Schengen Space as well as climate change. Also the Romanian FM will underline the importance of deepening the bilateral dialogue on security issues within NATO and the EU, as well as the effort to promote a solid transatlantic relation.



    Handball — Romania’s handball team CSM Bucharest defeated Slovenia’s team RK Krim Ljubljana 25-23 on Saturday evening in Group A of the Women’s Handball Champions League. After this win, CSM Bucharest returned on top position in the group. CSM Bucharest will play the next match against Krim Ljubljana on November 14, on home ground. (tr. L. Simion)

  • Iohannis: Noile restricții vor avea rezultate abia în două-trei săptămâni

    Iohannis: Noile restricții vor avea rezultate abia în două-trei săptămâni

    Președintele Klaus Iohannis, aflat la Baia Mare, a declarat că noile restricții împotriva răspândirii coronavirusului vor avea efect abia în două-trei săptămâni.

    Pandemia, din păcate, este o îngrijorare din ce în ce
    mai mare pentru noi. Ati văzut datele, din păcate azi am trecut efectiv de
    10.000 de persoane nou infectate. Am prevăzut această situație încă de aseară. Împreună cu Guvernul am decis noi măsuri care au fost bine gândite, măsuri
    ferme care vor fi aplicate începând de luni, măsuri gândite pentru a încetini
    semnificativ extinderea pandemiei. Sunt măsuri care cu siguranță vor duce la o încetinire a răspândirii virusului, măsuri care ne afectează pe toți, dar în
    astfel de circumstanțe trebuie să fim uniți, toți românii trebuie să fim o
    echipă și în final să trecem cu bine peste această pandemie. Multe din măsurile
    care au fost decise ieri au fost așteptate de fapt și pot să vă asigur că toate
    aceste măsuri au fost discutate cu experți și așteptăm primele rezultate abia
    peste două sau trei săptamâni. Toate aceste măsuri care vor fi puse în practică sunt măsuri care necesită un timp suficient de lung pentru a produce
    rezultate    , a declarat președintele Iohannis.

    În plus, președintele susține că România nu va intra în lockdown după alegerile parlamentare din 6 decembrie.

    Pentru situația în care spitalele vor fi supraaglomerate unii pacienți vor fi tratați în străinătate. În prezent, România a inițiat contacte cu spitale din alte state pentru a putea trimite pacienți în cazul supraaglomerării din cauza numărului foarte mare de bolnavi COVID-19.

  • Romania rules out total shutdown

    Romania rules out total shutdown

    The health crisis deepens in Romania, where the number of infections increases by the day. Authorities are looking for solutions to limit the spread of the virus and to properly treat patients, while the healthcare system is under huge pressure. A 14-day lockdown has been imposed in several localities. Health Minister Nelu Tataru has explained that avoiding lockdown is possible only if people protect themselves by observing the restrictions in force.



    Nelu Tataru: ”Every locality is evaluated separately and its particularities are taken into account. As you can see, in terms of number of new infections, we exclude the hotbeds in care centers for the elderly, for children and for mental patients, which are already under quarantine. When we see community transmission which is not connected to a hotbed, we consider lockdown, but only after we impose restrictions. Restrictions are aimed to decrease the number of new infections.”



    The Health Minister also said that in the case of a big city where many tests are conducted and the number of people who test positive is high, toughening restrictions is preferred over lockdown, provided that the city has hospitals or medical units able to deal with the situation. Nelu Tataru does not believe there will be a total shutdown in Romania before the parliamentary elections due on December 6. He has also explained that intensive care units need more beds and that their number will be supplemented in the counties of Cluj and Sibiu, which are dealing with a big number of cases. The medical units’ capacity to receive patients with mild symptoms will also be increased. Tataru said that emergency units are overcrowded but that, by using rapid tests in the upcoming period, will ease some of the pressure. A first transport of 43 thousand such tests is already being distributed to hospitals.



    The medical staff in hospitals, general practitioners, the Department for Emergencies and the military will help with the anti-Covid vaccination, according to Minister Tataru. Health workers and people at highest risk of the disease will be the first immunized, early next year while the rest of the population may receive the vaccine some time next spring. Also, the Romanian official said that in the current stage of the epidemic, kindergartens and schools will remain closed, until the number of cases starts to drop. (Translated by Elena Enache)