Radio România Internațional

Tag: measures

  • September 23, 2021 UPDATE

    September 23, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The COVID-19 epidemic stays on an upward
    trend in Romania. Thursday was the second consecutive day with more than 7,000 new
    cases in 24 hours (7,095 new cases out of nearly 54,000 tests). The largest
    number of infections is reported in the capital Bucharest. The number of Covid
    patients in intensive care is now over 1,000, a situation last seen in early
    May in Romania, and the number of coronavirus-related deaths was 113. Over
    300 towns and villages in the country are now on the red list of places where
    the infection rate is over 3 per thousand. Meanwhile, the total number of vaccine doses
    administered to Romanians went over 10 million on Thursday.


    MEASURES The COVID digital certificate remains a requirement for
    access to indoor events in places with infection rates of over 3 per thousand, and
    it will be compulsory for children over 12, instead of over 6 as originally
    stipulated. Another measure allows businesses to stay open after 6pm, in places
    with infection rates between 3 and 6 per thousand. A night curfew will be in
    place over weekends wherever the infection rate is over 6 per thousand, and
    throughout the week in places with infection rates above 7.5 per thousand. PM
    Florin Cîţu also announced today that vaccinated people will be allowed to
    leave their homes without a sworn statement in places under curfew or lockdown.
    Meanwhile, an emergency order on the COVID
    digital certificate has been endorsed by the Senate and is next to be discussed
    in the Chamber of Deputies. The digital certificate was created at EU level to
    facilitate free travel during the pandemic. The document, which includes a QR
    code, certifies that the holder has been vaccinated, recovered from the disease
    or tested negative for COVID.


    AMBASSADOR
    Romania has been a candidate for accession to the Visa Waiver programme for
    almost 15 years, said the new Romanian ambassador to Washington, Andrei Muraru,
    who mentioned that there are only three EU member states whose citizens need a
    short-stay visa on US territory. According to Andrei Muraru, the visa rejection
    rate is currently at a fairly high level, around 10%, but he pointed out that
    Romanian and US authorities are working to bring it down to the maximum 3% allowed
    for the Visa Waiver. The Romanian ambassador to the US also said that an
    information campaign will be organized in Bucharest for citizens to find out
    how they can apply for a visa, why their applications are turned down and why
    they should not apply if they do not meet the criteria set by the American
    side.


    NAVY The
    Romanian Navy’s Vice-admiral Constantin Bălescu Minelayer will take part in
    the EUNAVFOR MED operation Irini, in the Mediterranean Sea, between
    the 1st of October and the end of this year. Romanian marines will
    ensure compliance with the arms embargo enforced by the UN on Libya. The
    mission also targets illegal trafficking in oil products, drugs and people, by
    monitoring sea traffic and inspections of suspicious vessels in the
    Mediterranean. A combat diver unit is on board, and the 85 crew members have
    been tested, vaccinated against COVID-19 and isolated in Romanian Navy
    facilities prior to the operation.


    INSURANCE The government passed an emergency order enabling drivers who need to
    have their cars repaired under an insurance policy issued by City Insurance to
    receive their claims more quickly under the Insurance Guarantee Fund. They will
    no longer have to wait for a court to declare the company bankrupt. When its
    license was cancelled, City Insurance had 3 million civil liability policies
    issued to car owners. The Prosecutor General’s Office Thursday had documents
    seized from the company headquarters, as part of a criminal investigation
    following a complaint filed by the Financial Supervising Authority.


    INFRINGEMENT The European Commission Thursday sent Romania and Poland letters of
    formal notice for not correctly incorporating certain aspects of the Offshore
    Safety Directive into their legal systems. These letters of formal notice are
    actually the official start of the infringement procedure. Romania and Poland
    have two months to address the shortcomings, otherwise the Commission may decide to
    send a reasoned opinion. Also on Thursday, the
    Commission took measures against 19 member states, Romania included, for
    failing to take the necessary steps to ensure their citizens benefit from the
    EU audio-visual mass media and telecoms legislation. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Measures to encourage vaccination

    Measures to encourage vaccination

    A little over 5 million Romanians, that is just one quarter of the population, have been fully vaccinated against Sars-Cov-2 since the start of the national vaccination campaign in December 2020. This is a small number, the authorities have admitted, and their campaigns aimed at promoting the benefits of vaccination are far from reaching their goals. Medical staff and experts are equally worried by the small number of vaccinated people, recalling now, at the beginning of 4th wave of the pandemic, the problems that the 3rd wave created in the medical system. The daily number of COVID infections is on the rise, and the authorities hope that, through the new measures, consisting in material compensations, the Romanians appetite for vaccination will increase.



    On Monday, the government adopted an ordinance that provides for food allowances worth one hundred lei (a little over 20 Euros) for those people who get fully vaccinated from now on. In addition, a lottery with cash prizes will be organized for all those who have been vaccinated so far.



    The Health Minister, Ioana Mihăilă, has more: “When the emergency ordinance is published in the Official Gazette, the persons who get fully vaccinated will be able to benefit from meal vouchers. They can pick up these meal vouchers from the center where they got vaccinated, when these vouchers become available. As an additional measure to reward all the people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, a vaccination lottery will be organized consisting in cash prizes for the people who have been fully vaccinated.”



    The PM Florin Cîţu has once again pleaded in favor of vaccination. He believes that the people working in the public system should choose between immunization, which is free of charge, and mandatory periodic testing at their own expense.



    Florin Cîţu: “Given the number of people contaminated with Sars-CoV-2 lately, I believe it is very important to take vaccination seriously, since vaccination is the only solution. I have expressed my opinion related to the staff working for the state institutions and agencies, the defense ministry, the interior ministry, the education and healthcare ministries, namely that they should be either vaccinated or tested weekly. The respective ministries are expected, of course, to come up with proposals, we need to work out solutions”.



    On the other hand, the prime ministers control body will check the situation related to the several hundred false vaccination certificates discovered following a journalistic investigation. More than 370 complaints were referred to the Police regarding the authenticity of some suspicious vaccination certificates. (LS)

  • August 6, 2021

    August 6, 2021

    COVID-19 In Romania, the number of new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases remains high, over 200 per day. On Friday 230 new cases and 5 deaths were reported. Over 500 patients are hospitalized, 68 of them in intensive care. As regards the vaccine rollout, the number of fully vaccinated people went over 4.9 million on Thursday. According to a report by the National Public Health Institute, over 80% of the people diagnosed with the disease last week were not vaccinated. Data also indicates that over 85% of the COVID-related deaths were reported among unvaccinated or partly vaccinated patients. On Thursday, the government extended the state of alert by another 30 days.




    WILDFIRES Several European countries are responding to Greeces call for help under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. One of them is Romania, which is sending today over 100 fire-fighters and scores of fire engines. The hundreds of fires in Greece and Turkey have affected the air quality in the east of the Mediterranean, as smoke carrying fine particles has spread as far as to northern Africa. Adding to this is the high concentration of African dust over Greece, which also reduces air quality. The Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said his country was experiencing an unprecedented environmental crisis. He added that if anyone still has the slightest doubt that climate change is real, they should come to Greece to see its severity first hand. Over 150 wildfires have been reported in Greece so far, and one of them is threatening Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, where the Olympic flame is lit in modern times.




    MOLDOVA In the R. of Moldovas capital city Chişinău, Parliament convenes today in a special session to vote on the new pro-European government. The prime minister designate, Natalia Gavriliţă, and the 13 members of her cabinet, presented a governing programme focused on the reform of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, as well as on improving citizens living standards. The new government also aims to strengthen the strategic partnership with Romania, so as to ensure Moldovas EU accession. The vote is expected to be unproblematic, as the Action and Solidarity Party, which backs the new government, has 64 seats in Parliament, and only 51 votes are required for the cabinet to be endorsed. Natalia Gavrilița was designated for the PM post by president Maia Sandu, under a presidential order issued on July 30, after consultations with the parliamentary parties.




    NUCLEAR Romania and Canada Thursday signed a Memorandum of Agreement on strengthening cooperation in the civilian nuclear power field. The document was signed by Romanias minister for energy Virgil Popescu and Canada’s ambassador to Romania Annick Goulet. Attending the event, PM Florin Cîţu said the memorandum would consolidate bilateral cooperation in the field, as the Canadian partners would be involved in the Cernavoda nuclear power plant projects and in other civilian nuclear power ventures in Romania. The Canadian industry has exceptional experience in CANDU projects and has already completed CANDU upgrade and construction projects, the PM added, and voiced his satisfaction that Canadian partners are joining the US ones in developing the nuclear sector in Romania. In turn, Ambassador Annick Goulet emphasised that cooperation in the nuclear power field has been a vital element of the 55-year long relations between the 2 countries.




    FESTIVAL One of the most eagerly awaited summer festivals in Romania, Electric Castle, begins today and is scheduled to end on August 15. The opening gigs are taking place at Banffy Castle in Bonţida, and others will follow in the city of Cluj Napoca in the coming days. After a difficult period for festival goers, things are returning to normal. According to the organisers, hundreds of volunteers are helping in this years edition, as they did in previous years as well. Taking part in the 10-day event held in over 20 locations in Bonţida and Cluj are 250 artists from 23 countries.




    OLYMPICS The Romanian Cătălin Chirilă has today qualified into the semifinals of the 1,000m canoeing race in the Tokyo Olympics, after winning the first of the 5 qualifying series held at the Sea Forest Waterway base. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday. Over the years, kayak and canoeing have brought Romania 34 Olympic medals. The last gold medal was won by Florin Popescu, currently the coach of Romanias Olympic canoeing team, and Mitică Pricop, 21 years ago in Sydney. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • August 1, 2021 UPDATE

    August 1, 2021 UPDATE

    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu Saturday had talks over the telephone with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, concerning the incident involving the Mercer Street vessel in the Hormuz Strait area, in which a Romanian and a British national were killed on 29 July. The Romanian foreign ministry says it is in touch with both the company managing the ship, and with the local authorities in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and is prepared to provide consular assistance. Also on Saturday, Bogdan Aurescu exchanged views on the matter with the UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab, and agreed on the need to clarify as soon as possible the circumstances of the incident. Dominic Raab voiced the willingness of the British authorities to coordinate with the Romanian party with respect to the repatriation procedures. A Romanian national and a British citizen from the crew of the oil tanker “Mercer Street were killed in an attack in unclear circumstances, as the vessel was sailing with no cargo onboard off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea. The Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned ship is managed by the London-based company Zodiac Maritime, headed by an Israeli businessman.




    COVID-19 On Sunday 152 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported, out of nearly 22,000 tests. The authorities also announced no new COVID-related deaths, but reported 5 previous deaths, over 400 people hospitalised and 59 patients in ICUs. Meanwhile, new COVID-19 relaxation measures took effect in Romania on Sunday. In places with infection rates below 2 per thousand, outdoor events may be attended by up to 75,000 people, private indoor events by 400 participants, and sports competitions may be held with crowds up to 75% of the venue capacity. Participants must be vaccinated, tested or must have recovered from the disease. A maximum of 500 people may take part in rallies, with mandatory face covering, which remains a prerequisite in all indoor or busy areas. Also as of Sunday, the COVID-19 vaccine platform allows appointments for youth aged 12 to 17. Over 5 million people have received at least one dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine in Romania. 7,330 people have got the vaccine in the past 24 hours.




    FESTIVAL Cancelled last year due to the COVID pandemic, the Medieval Sighişoara Festival, the longest-lasting festival of its kind in Romania, bringing together artists, craftsmen and a large number of guests, came to a close on Sunday with a concert by the Romanian band Phoenix. The only medieval citadel still inhabited in southeastern Europe, Sighişoara saw over the weekend warriors, knights, ladies of the court and master craftsmen pouring in from all corners of the country and from abroad.




    MOUNTAIN RESCUE The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis posted a message on Sunday, on National Mountain Rescue Day, praising the “dedication and self-sacrifice of mountain rescue workers. The Romanian Mountain Rescue Association, known as Salvamont, the only mountain rescue service in the country, celebrated on Sunday 117 years since the first mountain rescue structures were established in the country.




    WEATHER Romania remains in the grip of a severe heat wave, with 16 counties and the capital Bucharest subject to code orange alerts for extreme heat and severe thermal discomfort valid on Monday, and a similar, code yellow alert in another 8 counties. The heat index is over the critical 80-unit threshold. Highs will be ranging between 37 and 40-41 degrees Celsius.




    MOLDOVA A new, pro-European and pro-reform government may be sworn in within days in the Republic of Moldova, after president Maia Sandu nominated Natalia Gavriliţă, from Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), for prime minister. She announced she would make public a proposed cabinet list in the following days, and voiced hopes that the new government will be sworn in as soon as possible. PAS, which holds a majority of seats in Parliament following the election of June 11, and the small party ŞOR, said they would support the new cabinet, whereas the Socialists and Communists warned they would vote against. Natalia Gavriliţă is the vice-president of PAS, a party founded by incumbent president Maia Sandu 5 years ago. She was an education minister in Maia Sandus cabinet in 2019, held several positions in Moldovas economy and education ministries, and worked for several years in private multinational companies.




    OLYMPICS Romanias rowing team returned on Sunday to the country with 3 medals—a gold and 2 silver—from the Tokyo Olympics. Romania finished the rowing competition on 4th place in the ranking after New Zealand (3 gold, 2 silver), Australia (2 gold, 2 bronze) and the Netherlands (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze). The 3 medals won by the Romanian team coached by the Antonio Colamonici (Italy) were brought home by Ancuţa Bondar and Simona Radiş—gold in women’s double sculls; Mihăiţă Ţigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ştefan Berariu and Cosmin Pascari—silver in mens coxless four; and Marius Cozmiuc and Ciprian Tudosă—silver in mens two-frame event. The overall medal count for the Romanian rowers in the Olympics is 20 gold, 12 silver and 9 bronze medals. So far in Tokyo Romania has won one other medal, silver for Ana-Maria Popescu in the epee event. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • August 1, 2021

    August 1, 2021

    DIPLOMACY The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu Saturday had talks over the telephone with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, concerning the incident involving the Mercer Street vessel in the Hormuz Strait area, in which the Romanian national capital and a British national were killed. With respect to the July 29 incident, the Romanian foreign ministry says it is in touch with both the company managing the ship, and with the local authorities in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, and is prepared to provide consular assistance. Also on Saturday, Bogdan Aurescu exchanged views on the matter with the UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab, and agreed on the need to clarify as soon as possible the circumstances of the incident. Dominic Raab voiced the willingness of the British authorities to coordinate with the Romanian party with respect to the repatriation procedures. A Romanian national and a British citizen from the crew of the oil tanker “Mercer Street were killed in an attack in unclear circumstances, as the vessel was sailing with no cargo onboard off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea. The Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned ship is managed by the London-based company Zodiac Maritime, headed by an Israeli businessman.




    COVID-19 On Sunday 152 new SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported, out of nearly 22,000 tests. The authorities also announced no new COVID-related deaths, but reported 5 previous deaths, over 400 people hospitalised and 59 patients in ICUs. Meanwhile, new COVID-19 relaxation measures take effect in Romania today. In places with infection rates below 2 per thousand, outdoor events may be attended by up to 75,000 people, private indoor events by 400 participants, and sports competitions may be held with crowds up to 75% of the venue capacity. Participants must be vaccinated, tested or must have recovered from the disease. A maximum of 500 people may take part in rallies, with mandatory face covering, which remains a prerequisite in all indoor or busy areas. Also as of Sunday, the COVID-19 vaccine platform allows appointments for youth aged 12 to 17, with Modernas Spikevax. Over 5 million people have received at least one dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine in Romania.




    FESTIVAL Cancelled last year due to the COVID pandemic, the Medieval Sighişoara Festival, the longest-lasting festival of its kind in Romania, bringing together artists, craftsmen and a large number of guests, comes to a close today with a concert by the Romanian band Phoenix. The only medieval citadel still inhabited in southeastern Europe, Sighişoara has seen this weekend warriors, knights, ladies of the court and master craftsmen pouring in from all corners of the country and from abroad. The medieval play The Farce of Master Pathelin was premiered, stage directed by our colleague from RRIs Aromanian Service, Toma Enache, who is also the festival’s stage director. Entry was free of charge, face masks were mandatory and only vaccinated people or those presenting a negative PCR test for COVID-19 were allowed to attend the performances.




    MOUNTAIN RESCUE The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis sent a message today, on National Mountain Rescue Day, praising the “dedication and self-sacrifice of mountain rescue workers. The Romanian Mountain Rescue Association, known as Salvamont, the only mountain rescue service in the country, celebrates today 117 years since the first mountain rescue structures were established in the country. The association is celebrated every year on the 1st of August, the most difficult month of the year for mountain rescue workers, when the largest number of incidents are reported.




    WEATHER Romania remains in the grip of a severe heat wave, with most of the country and the capital Bucharest subject to code orange and code yellow alerts for extreme heat and thermal discomfort today. The heat index is over the critical 80-unit threshold. Highs are ranging between 31 and 40 degrees Celsius.




    OLYMPICS Romania has today qualified into the quarter-finals of the Olympic womens table tennis competition, after defeating Egypt 3-0, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. Romanias womens table tennis team takes part for the 3rd time in an Olympic competition, after ranking 7th in Beijing 2008 and 9th in Rio 2016. Romania’s first participation in the event was in Barcelona 1992, and the Romanian athletes have not missed any Olympic Games ever since. In the 2012 Olympics in London, Adrian Crişan played the quarter-finals, the best Olympic performance for Romania in this sport to date. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • July 28, 2021 UPDATE

    July 28, 2021 UPDATE

    HEAT WAVE Meteorologists have issued a code orange alert against extreme heat and thermal discomfort in seven counties in the south and the capital Bucharest, in place until Saturday. Maximum temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Centigrade locally. A code yellow alert against extreme heat is in place until Saturday for all other regions, with highs ranging from 34 to 39 degrees. Passenger and freight trains will travel at reduced speeds during this period. Road traffic authorities have also warned some
    restrictions will be introduced due to the extreme heat, on Thursday, Friday
    and Saturday, between noon and 8 pm in most of the country.




    COVID-19 The number of COVID-19 infections in Romania remains low, although it has gone up in recent days. The authorities announced 159 new cases on Wednesday, one new COVID-related casualty and 47 patients in intensive care. According to the head of the vaccination campaign, medical doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, nearly 90% of the people currently diagnosed with COVID-19 are not vaccinated, while over 91% of related fatalities were people who hadn’t taken the anti-COVID jab. At present, some 30% of Romania’s total population is immunised. Starting August 2, young people aged 12-17 can also receive the Moderna vaccine, Valeriu Gheorghiţă said. The Romanian official went on to say that, by mid-September, Romania might start administering the third dose of the vaccine for at-risk categories, such as health workers, chronically ill and people over 65 years of age. So far, 4.8 million people have been fully vaccinated in Romania.




    GOVERNMENT The Government Wednesday approved plans to further ease COVID-related restrictions starting August 1. PM Florin Cîţu mentioned, among others, that outdoors cultural and entertainment events may be attended by a maximum of 75,000 people, in places where the COVID-19 infection rate is under 2 per thousand, on condition that participants are vaccinated, recovered from the disease or have tested negative for it. For indoor and outdoor sports events, crowd attendance is limited to 75% of the venue’s full capacity, provided a physical distance of at least 1 m between viewers is ensured. In areas with an infection rate below 2 per thousand, bars, nightclubs, restaurants and gambling venues will also be open between 5 am and 2 am.




    IMF The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday maintained its 6% economic growth estimate for the world economy this year and upgraded its outlook on the United States and other developed economies, while downgrading its forecast for a number of developing countries affected by the fallout of COVID-19. In the case of Romania, in October last year the IMF estimated a growth rate of 4.6% this year. The new outlook expects Romanias economic growth rate to reach 6% this year. Additionally, the IMF has upgraded its forecast for 2022, from 3.9% as originally estimated, to 4.8%. According to the new report, Romania’s economic growth rates for 2021 and 2022 will stand above the European average.




    INFRINGEMENT The European Commission decided to start infringement procedures against 12 Member States, including Romania, for failure to transpose EU rules banning unfair trade practices in the agricultural and food supply chain. The deadline for transposing the regulations into national law was May 1, 2021. The Commission sent letters of formal notice to Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, requesting them to adopt and notify relevant measures. The Member States have now two months to reply.




    BEAR CENSUS A bear census worth 11 million euro was launched on Wednesday in Romania. The Minister for Investments and European Projects Cristian Ghinea explained the project is funded under the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme. There will be two lines of investment, one focusing on the bear census itself, while the other will help implement state-of-the-art technologies aimed at limiting the interaction of bears with humans. Last week the Government had passed an order regulating human intervention in situations involving bears, under which bears can be driven away in low-risk cases, and tranquilized and relocated or even shot if they attack people or livestock.




    OLYMPICS Romania won two medals in Wednesday’s rowing finals at the Tokyo Olympics: Ancuţa Bodnar and Simona Radiş won gold in the women’s double scull event, while Romania’s four crew, made up of Mihăiţă Ţigănescu, Mugurel Semciuc, Ştefan Berariu and Cosmin Pascari scooped the silver. Adding to the two medals is Ana-Maria Popescu’s silver medal in the women’s epee event. Romanian fighter Maria Claudia Nechita Wednesday failed to qualify into the 57 kg boxing semi-finals, after losing to Japans Sena Irie, 3-2. A victory would have secured her an Olympic medal. Also on Wednesday, Romanias under-23 football team drew with New Zealand, in its last Group B match, and failed to move forward into the quarter-finals. The Romanians came out 3rd in the group, after South Korea and New Zealand and ahead of Honduras.



    FESTIVAL The 2021 edition of the largest cinema event in Romania, the Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF) continues in Cluj-Napoca (north-west), until Sunday. Over 170 films are screened in this years festival. Concerts and meetings with film industry representatives are also organised as part of the event. TIFF aims to promote cinema by presenting some of the most important contemporary works which reflect the originality of their authors, less common forms of cinematic expression and new cultural trends. This years special guest in the festival is international star Sergei Polunin, regarded as the most talented ballet dancer of his generation. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Anti-COVID measures

    Anti-COVID measures

    The most contagious strain of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus detected so far, the Delta variant, which is at the origin of the devastating wave of COVID-19 cases in India, is spreading, which has prompted world authorities to take action to counter a 4th wave of the pandemic. In Israel, for instance, vaccination with the 3rd dose has been launched for people with immunity problems, and, in France, the most important measure to fight the Delta variant, announced by President Emmanuel Macron, refers to compulsory vaccination for healthcare and non-healthcare workers in hospitals, clinics and nursing homes, as well as for professional and voluntary staff involved in the care of the elderly, including at home.



    After France, Greece has announced the same measure for the medical staff, starting on September 1. In Romania, the Delta variant appeared a few weeks ago, and the first death associated with it was registered in the second half of June. Meanwhile, the number of such cases and associated deaths has slightly increased, and the authorities continue to call for the peoples vaccination. The medical staff that refuses to be vaccinated against COVID could pay for the tests from their own pockets, Prime Minister Florin Cîțu said on Tuesday, when answering the question whether the executive is considering the measure of compulsory immunization of the medical staff or of the employees involved in the care of the elderly.



    Florin Cîțu: “Romania has the lowest infection rate in Europe. Regarding vaccination of the medical staff, we propose to test those who do not want to be vaccinated and have them pay for the test. This is the proposal I made to the Health Ministry officials.”



    The move is caused by fears regarding the possibility of a 4th wave emerging in Romania, even if, at present, the positive test rate stands somewhere around 0.3% and the medical system no longer has to work under the pressure of a very large number of infected people.



    In another move, as of Tuesday, passengers arriving at the Henri Coandă Airport from countries on the yellow list and holding a EU digital COVID certificate or a PCR test can use the green flow corridor, without being checked by the Public Health Directorate employees. The same corridor can be used by those who come from the red-list countries but hold a certificate. The Bucharest Airports National Company specified that the digital certificates issued by Great Britain or by non-EU countries are not valid and recommends passengers arriving from countries on the red or yellow lists to fill in, in due time, the form requested by the Romanian health authorities. The form can be downloaded from the airlines websites or from the website of the Romanian Foreign Ministry. (LS)

  • COVID restrictions eased off in Romania

    COVID restrictions eased off in Romania

    With the coronavirus epidemic in Romania apparently coming under control, some of the containment measures in place so far will be lifted. National authorities have announced that as of 1 July, more people will be allowed to take part in private events, performances and festivals. The restrictions concerning the number of tourists accommodated in seaside hotels will also be scrapped. The new measures were announced by the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat:



    Raed Arafat: “A higher number of people will be allowed to take part in private events—weddings, for example—up to a maximum of 150 people in outdoor locations and 100 people indoors, and up to 300 people, if they have been tested, have received the vaccine or have recovered from the disease. Groups of more than 10 pedestrians are also allowed. Indoor and outdoor restaurants and bars will be working up to the maximum capacity of each facility and working hours are extended from 5am to 2am instead of midnight. Ceilings on the accommodation of tourists in seaside hotels will also be eliminated. However, face covering is still compulsory in public indoor areas, such as elevators, hallways, etc.



    Figures are quite encouraging, but it is up to us to keep this positive trend, the head of the vaccination programme, dr. Valeriu Gheorghiță, said in his turn. He presented a report of the first 6 months of the vaccine rollout in Romania. In the forthcoming period, what we need is epidemiological stability, which can only be achieved through vaccination, Valeriu Gheorghiță added.



    He also mentioned that so far over 4.6 million people have received the vaccine, and 4.4 million of them have completed the schedule. This means a vaccine coverage of around 25% of the eligible population, adding to which is the immunity gained as a result of recovering from the disease.



    The highest vaccination rate, 36.5%, is reported among the 60-69 age bracket. In the 12 – 15 group, some 16,200 people have received at least one dose, accounting for 1.9% of this age bracket. Bucharest, with over 45%, and another 7 counties have a vaccination rate of over 30% of the eligible residents.



    Valeriu Gheorghiţă said a rise in the number of cases is expected in the autumn, but he emphasised that a steep surge can be avoided if more people get the vaccine in the next 2 months. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • May 27, 2021 update

    May 27, 2021 update

    MEASURES The government in Bucharest on
    Thursday endorsed new relaxation measures to come into effect as of June 1st.
    Private parties with a limited number of people are to be allowed, while sports
    fans will be permitted to attend their favourite sporting events. Clubs and
    discotheques will open and so will children playgrounds and indoor swimming
    pools. The number of people allowed is still limited but can be higher if all
    the participants are vaccinated. Indoor cultural activities can be attended by
    1,000 people at the most. In order for these activities to become possible the
    infection rate in their area must stay under 3 per thousand. Face covering is
    no longer mandatory in offices with maximum 5 people, if they are all
    vaccinated. According to government sources, vaccinated people, those who had
    the disease 90 days before their entry and those who can produce a negative PCR
    test are allowed on the Romanian territory. Children under 16 who have tested
    negative can also enter the country.






    PROTEST Romanian policemen took to the streets of Bucharest on
    Thursday to protest the government’s social and pay policies. Over 100 trade
    unionists, members of the National Federation of Policemen and Contractors
    convened in capital Bucharest for a two-hour protest in front of the government
    building. The protesters denounced the freezing of pensions and salaries, the
    cutting of holiday gift vouchers, the dropping standard of living, the lack of
    personnel, the price hikes and the management crisis the institution is
    presently facing. The policemen have pledged to stage more protests until the
    government starts considering their claims.

    VACCINE Romanian prime minister Florin Cîţu on Thursday attended the
    launch of a public information campaign on anti-Covid vaccination. Comprising
    of 11 different ads targeting different categories of public, the campaign is
    based on the idea of vaccination as a form of solidarity and a way for the
    whole society to return to normalcy. Since the start of the vaccine rollout in Romania in late
    December last year, more than 4.2 million people received at least one dose of
    the Covid vaccine, while over 3.3 million people are fully vaccinated. Today, Romania
    recorded 307 new infections and 39 new fatalities, while almost 500 Covid
    patients are in intensive care.






    TENNIS
    Romania’s Sorana Cirstea has outperformed Shuai Zhang of China 6-2, 6-1 in the
    round of last 16 of the Strasbourg tennis tournament. The match, which was
    initially scheduled for yesterday, was postponed because of unfavourable
    weather. The only match the two played was in 2008 in Cuneo, in Italy, which
    the Romanian won. Cirstea reached the round of last 16 after winning against
    Venus Williams in three sets, which is the first time Cirstea ever defeated the
    American player.

    (bill)



  • May 22, 2021 UPDATE

    May 22, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The number of new Covid-19 cases in Romania on Saturday was 455, out of over 28,000 tests. In hospitals, the number of coronavirus patients is under 3,700, 623 of them in intensive care. Also, 59 COVID-related deaths were reported for the past 24 hours. The vaccine rollout continues, with several vaccination marathons scheduled this weekend in various cities. Drive-thru centres are also operational in several parts of the country. Since the end of December, nearly 7.3 million vaccine doses have been administered in Romania, with more than 3.1 million people receiving the booster dose as well.



    PILGRIMAGE Thousands took part on Saturday in the traditional Catholic Whitsun pilgrimage in Şumuleu Ciuc, in central Romania. The organisers have taken measures to ensure the event complies with the Covid-19 safety rules. Hundreds of volunteers have been mobilized to this end, alongside hundreds of gendarmes, police, firefighters, mountain rescue workers and ambulances. Last year, the pilgrimage on Mount Şumuleu, which brought together over 100,000 people from around the world every year, was cancelled over the pandemic. In 2019, on June 1, Pope Francis travelled to Şumuleu Ciuc, where he held a service devoted to Mary, the Mother of God. The Şumuleu Ciuc pilgrimage dates back more than 450 years.



    ECONOMY The Romanian finance minister Alexandru Nazare took part on Friday and Saturday in Lisbon in this years first physical meeting of the Economic and Financial Council (ECOFIN). Nazare announced in a Facebook post that on Saturday he had bilateral meetings with EU officials, including Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Paolo Gentiloni, and with his counterparts from Greece, Spain, Ireland and Italy, and discussed the state of European economies in the context of the pandemic and the implementation of the European Recovery and Resilience Mechanism. According to the Romanian official, the ECOFIN session began on Friday with talks on the structure of the economic and fiscal policies designed to facilitate the quick recovery of the European economies after the COVID-19 pandemic.



    MOLDOVA In the Republic of Moldova the campaign for the July 11 snap elections has officially started. Political analysts say this would be a tough race between pro-European and pro-Russian parties. The pro-European Action and Solidarity Party, founded by the incumbent president of the country, Maia Sandu, promised a fair and clean campaign, to gain citizens trust. Their main opponent is the Socialists Party headed by the former president Igor Dodon, which forms a pro-Russian electoral bloc together with Vladimir Voronins Communists. Also running for seats in parliament is the party headed by the mayor of Bălţi town, Renato Usatyi, which aims to win over a chunk of the pro-Moscow electorate, and a party headed by Ilan Shor, the hideaway tycoon who lives in Israel after having been sentenced to 7 years in prison by a court of first instance, following the USD 1 billion bank fraud scandal.



    PANDEMIC As of Monday Spain opens its borders to travelers from countries deemed safe, such as the UK, Austria, China, Israel and Japan, without healthcare restrictions, the Radio România corrspondent in Madrid reports. As of June 7 travellers who have completed a full vaccination scheme approved by the WHO or the European Medicines Agency will also be welcomed to the country. Austria has also revised entry conditions, with the new measures to be enforced as of the end of June. People travelling to Austria from countries for which travel alerts are not in place, Romania included, are exempt from self-isolation requirements. Entry into Austria is allowed for those who produce a vaccination certificate, a negative SARS-CoV-2 test or an anti-body test taken in the past 3 months. Tests are not required for children up to 10 years of age. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • May 22, 2021

    May 22, 2021

    COVID-19 The number of new Covid-19
    cases in Romania on Saturday was 455, out of over 28,000 tests. In hospitals, the
    number of coronavirus patients is under 3,700, 623 of them in intensive care. Also,
    59 COVID-related deaths were reported for the past 24 hours. The vaccine
    rollout continues, with several vaccination marathons scheduled this weekend in
    various cities. Drive-thru centres are also operational in several parts of the
    country. Since the end of December, over 7 million vaccine doses have been
    administered in Romania, with more than 3 million people receiving the booster
    dose as well.




    PILGRIMAGE Tens of thousands are taking part today in the traditional Catholic Whitsun pilgrimage in Şumuleu Ciuc, in central Romania. The organisers have taken measures to ensure the event complies with the Covid-19 safety rules. Hundreds of volunteers have been mobilized to this end, alongside hundreds of gendarmes, police, firefighters, mountain rescue workers and ambulances. Last year, the pilgrimage on Mount Şumuleu, which brought together over 100,000 people from around the world every year, was cancelled over the pandemic. In 2019, on June 1, Pope Francis travelled to Şumuleu Ciuc, where he held a service devoted to Mary, the Mother of God. The Şumuleu Ciuc pilgrimage dates back more than 450 years.




    MOLDOVA In the Republic of Moldova the campaign for next months snap elections has officially started. Political analysts say this would be a tough race between pro-European and pro-Russian parties. The pro-European Action and Solidarity Party, founded by the incumbent president of the country, Maia Sandu, promised a fair and clean campaign, to gain citizens trust. Their main opponent is the Socialists Party headed by the former president Igor Dodon, which forms a pro-Russian electoral bloc together with Vladimir Voronins Communists. Also running for seats in parliament is the party headed by the mayor of Bălţi town, Renato Usatyi, which aims to win over a chunk of the pro-Moscow electorate, and a party headed by Ilan Shor, the hideaway tycoon who lives in Israel after having been sentenced to 7 years in prison by a court of first instance, following the USD 1 billion bank fraud scandal.




    PANDEMIC As of Monday Spain opens its borders to travelers from countries deemed safe, such as the UK, Austria, China, Israel and Japan, without healthcare restrictions, the Radio România corrspondent in Madrid reports. As of June 7 travellers who have completed a full vaccination scheme approved by the WHO or the European Medicines Agency will also be welcomed to the country. Austria has also revised entry conditions, with the new measures to be enforced as of the end of June. People travelling to Austria from countries for which travel alerts are not in place, Romania included, are exempt from self-isolation requirements. Entry into Austria is allowed for those who produce a vaccination certificate, a negative SARS-CoV-2 test or an anti-body test taken in the past 3 months. Tests are not required for children up to 10 years of age.




    EUROVISION 26 countries are competing tonight for the 2021 Eurovision trophy. The worlds largest televised song competition is held this year in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. This is the years first major global performance, although held under strict COVID-19 containment measures. Only 3,500 people will be allowed in the venue, to watch artists from the entire Europe. The public must present negative COVID-19 tests and will wear face masks. Romania failed to qualify into this years Eurovision final. Over the years, Romanias best performances in this competition were two 3rd places (in 2005 and 2010) and a 4th place in 2006. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • April 25, 2021 UPDATE

    April 25, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 The daily number of new COVID-19 infections and of hospitalised patients continues to drop in Romania. In the last 24 hours, 1,500 new cases and 127 deaths were reported. Some 1,360 patients are in intensive care. In Timişoara (western Romania) weekend restrictions have been lifted today, as the infection rate dropped below 3 per thousand. Meanwhile, the local authorities announced that the Timisoara Vaccination Marathon, launched on Friday, was a success, with more than 4,500 people immunised at the end of the second day. In fact, a similar marathon will be organised in Bucharest as well, between May 7 and 9, the coordinator of the national vaccination campaign Valeriu Gheorghiţă announced. In Deva, in the south-west, the drive-through vaccine centre opened on Saturday in the parking lot of the biggest shopping mall in the city, is also a success, with 600 people getting the vaccine so far. Nationwide, in the last 24 hours, nearly 90,000 vaccine doses were given. So far over 3 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 1.8 million of them have also received the booster dose.



    MEETING The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis announced a meeting will be held on Monday with the government officials in charge with drafting the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Bucharest is trying to improve the Plan so that it can be approved by Brussels and so that Romania may receive nearly 30 billion euro. The minister for European funding, Cristian Ghinea, said on Saturday that Romania will postpone the submission of the Plan to the EC for several weeks. He said the original deadline was April 30, but that further talks with EU officials are still necessary. The EC sent a number of objections to the plan previously submitted by Romania. The Social-Democrats in opposition want the plan discussed in Parliament, otherwise they threaten to go on parliamentary strike.



    PALM SUNDAY Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians around the world, including Romania, marked Palm Sunday, commemorating the arrival of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem before the Crucifixion. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Passion Week, in which Christians are preparing for the Easter holiday, held on May 2nd. This year, because of the restrictions triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, religious services have been held within churches where physical distancing was possible, or outdoors. Palm Sunday was also the name day of close to 1.4 million Romanians.



    BUY-BACK This years Rabla Clasic and Rabla Plus used vehicle buy-back programmes begin on Monday. Rabla Clasic will have a budget of around 88 million euro, which is 35 million lei more than in 2020, allowing for the purchase of over 55,000 new, less polluting vehicles. Rabla Plus programme, which targets the purchase of electric cars, has a budget of nearly 80 million euro, will grant vouchers of 10,000 euro for the purchase of ‘full electric’ cars and some 4,500 euro for hybrid plug-in vehicles, accounting for up to 50% of the price of the new vehicle. Within the budget earmarked for this year, Rabla Plus will allow the purchase of up to 6,600 electric cars and around 5,000 hybrid cars.




    MOLDOVA The European Union supports the reforming agenda of the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and warns that the Moldovan MPs vote on Friday against the Constitutional Court rulings is an attack on the rule of law. The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, called on Moldovan MPs to observe the Court rulings, after the latter voted no confidence in three Constitutional Court judges, over their support for Maia Sandus move to call early elections. The Socialists headed by the ex-president Igor Dodon view the Constitutional Court ruling to dissolve Parliament as dictatorial and unconstitutional.




    MEETING Russias president Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden could have a meeting in June, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said on Sunday, adding that a firm decision on the meeting has not been taken yet. In a phone conversation with Putin in April, Biden suggested a summit in a third country in order to tackle the relations between the 2 countries. The tensions between Russia and the US, recently deepened by sanctions and counter-sanctions, mainly concern the Ukraine, the fate of Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny and US allegations of espionage, election meddling and cyber-attacks. In June the US president is to make his first foreign visit, to the UK and then Belgium, for a G7 and NATO summit and a meeting with EU leaders.




    TROPHY The trophy of the European Football Championship reached Bucharest on Sunday, and was handed to former international player Dorinel Munteanu, the ambassador of Bucharest as a Euro 2020 host city. The National Arena in Bucharest will host this summer 3 matches in Group C and an eighth-final. The Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan announced that over 13,000 people will attend the matches. Originally scheduled for last year, EURO 2020 was postponed over the coronavirus pandemic. This special edition, celebrating 60 years since the first European Championship, will be held between 11 June and 11 July in 11 European cities: Bucharest (Romania), Baku (Azerbaijan), Copenhagen (Denmark), London (UK), Munich (Germany), Budapest (Hungary), Rome (Italy), Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Sankt Petersburg (Russia), Glasgow (Scotland), and Seville (Spain).

  • April 22, 2021 UPDATE

    April 22, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Three counties in Romania, Bucharest, Ilfov (south-east) and Cluj (centre-west) are still in the red zone, with little over 4 COVID infections per thousand inhabitants. The other counties have reported infections rates below 3 per thousand. On Thursday the authorities announced nearly 3,000 new infections and 150 COVID-related deaths in 24 hours, while 1,405 patients are in intensive care. At the end of the first meeting of an inter-ministry committee working for Romanias returning to normal as of June 1 this year, PM Florin Cîțu said reaching this goal depends on vaccination. It is a prerequisite, this will not happen without vaccination. It is the only solution, the PM said. Vaccination remains the only way to stop the spread of coronavirus, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in his turn, urging all who haven’t got the vaccine yet to get immunised because only this way we can have a summer without so many restrictions. The total number of people who got at least one vaccine dose is over than 2.8 million people. According to the authorities, Romania has now the capacity to immunize 120,000 people a day.




    HEALTH Romania’s new Health Minister, Ioana Mihaila, begins her term in office with three key priorities, which she says are going to guide her work, alongside the strategy to curb the pandemic. The new minister’s priorities are, attracting funds for reforms and investment, increasing people’s access to basic medical services as well as raising the competitiveness of the managing boards of hospitals and county health insurance agencies. According to Minister Mihaila, over 2.6 billion Euros worth of EU funds are to be invested in streamlining the country’s healthcare system and in the next government meeting a draft emergency order will be discussed, regulating the involvement of family physicians in the vaccine rollout. Nominated by the USR-PLUS Alliance, Ioana Mihaila has replaced Vlad Voiculescu, recently sacked by the Liberal Prime Minister Florin Citu.




    MEETING Bucharest is hosting for two days the Trilateral Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Romania, Poland and Turkey. The event was preceded by an online conference on current security challenges. Taking the floor during the event, Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu has highlighted the value of the trilateral meeting in handling these crises, mainly in consolidating the NATO deterrence and defence posture in the eastern flank. The Romanian official also touched on the complex regional background fraught with concerning developments, affecting the area from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea and which is mainly visible at Ukraine’s western border and in the illegally occupied Crimea. The situation in the Black Sea region is high on the agenda of the Romania-Poland-Turkey trilateral meeting.




    UKRAINE The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis announced the Supreme Defence Council would convene on 27 April to discuss the situation at the Black Sea. The head of state said tensions emerged in that area, especially in Ukraines eastern border region, and described the situation as “worrying. “I have had several discussions with the defence minister and the heads of other specialised services, we are well aware of the situation there and the tensions emerging in the region are a concern for us, Klaus Iohannis added. On Thursday, Russia announced pulling out the troops it had deployed near the Ukraine-Crimea border, stating the military exercises conducted in the area were completed. “The troops have demonstrated their ability to ensure a reliable defence of the country. So I decided to complete the inspection activities in the southern and western military districts, said Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu in a press release.




    NATO NATO leaders will convene in a summit in Brussels on June 14, the Alliances secretary general Jens Stoltenberg announced on Thursday. “Russias aggressive actions, the threat of terrorism, cyber-attacks, emerging and disruptive technologies, the security impact of climate change, and the rise of China will be on the agenda of the meeting. According to Stoltenberg, “This is a unique opportunity to reinforce NATO as the enduring embodiment of the bond between Europe and North America. Also, he added, decisions will be made on the organisations 2030 agenda to deal with the challenges of today and tomorrow.

    TENNIS
    Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, no. 3 in the world, Thursday defeated Marketa
    Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, 6-1, 6-3 in the round of 16 of the tennis
    tournament in Stuttgart. Halep, a former Roland Garros champion, has won all
    the major clay tournaments in Europe, except for the one in Stuttgart, where
    she only made it to the semifinals in 2017. In 2020, the Romanian clinched two
    titles in Prague and Rome. Also in Stuttgart, the pair made up of Raluca Olaru
    of Romania and Nadia Kicenok of Germany has qualified for the doubles quarter
    finals after a 7-6, 6-4 win against Hayley Carter of the USA and Luisa Stefani
    of Brazil.(tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • The latest on vaccination and lockdown

    The latest on vaccination and lockdown

    Citizens willingness to get vaccinated remains at a steady 50% in Romania, according to sociological surveys, the head of the national SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Coordination Committee Valeriu Gheorghiţă announced on Tueday. According to him, at present over 1.2 million people have appointments both for the first dose and for the booster, most of them for the Pfizer vaccine. So far in Romania nearly 2.4 million people have received the vaccine, and over half of them have got both doses.



    Valeriu Gheorghiţă also mentioned that at present over 1,000 vaccination centres are operational, with a total maximum capacity of 115,000 doses per day. Most of them, i.e. over two-thirds, are Pfizer centres, and the remaining give AstraZeneca and Moderna shots.



    The Romanian official also announced that as of the next few days people who wish to get the vaccine without a previous appointment will be able to come directly to the AstraZeneca centres with available spots.



    With the number of patients in intensive care and the number of COVID-19-related deaths on the rise across the country, authorities once again call on people to get the vaccine and to observe protection measures.



    Meanwhile, an order issued by the health ministry introduces new criteria for local lockdowns. Apart from the COVID infection rate, other aspects will also be taken into account, such as the testing level and the ICU and hospital vacancies.



    According to the state secretary with the health ministry Andreea Moldovan, the new criteria are more objective, but the decision to introduce a lockdown “depends on more factors. The new order introduces a system that assigns towns and villages a specific score, based on these factors, with higher scores indicating a more severe situation in terms of the disease.



    The system separates between cities of over 100,000 inhabitants and smaller localities. For the former, the criteria include the combined 14-day infection rate and its trend, the number of tests run over the past 7 days and the proportion of positive tests in the total, the number of cases in outbreaks and the number of hospital beds still available. In smaller localities, the number of tests and the test positivity rate will not be taken into account, but the other criteria stand.



    As a general rule, local lockdown will be lifted when the infection rate drops below 3 per thousand, the document also reads. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • March 31, 2021 UPDATE

    March 31, 2021 UPDATE

    WB Romania’s economy is expected to grow by 4.3% this year after last year’s 3.9% contraction, says the latest World Bank report published on Wednesday. According to the same report, the economic growth would be supported by the improved economic activity in the second half of 2021. This economic growth will also depend on the success of the vaccination rollout, the political response to the medical crisis as well as by the EU performances. World Bank also expects a 4.1% economic growth for the next year with an inflation rate around 3% in 2021 and of 3.2% in 2022. Inflation is expected to go down to 2.9% in 2023.



    COVID-19 As many as 6,156 new COVID-19 infections were reported on Wednesday in Romania out of 41,000 tests. 14 counties are in the red zone, meaning they have infection rates above 3 per thousand. Ilfov County near Bucharest has the highest infection rate, over 9 per thousand, and the capital city is over 7 per thousand. The autorities also announced 129 deaths and 1,412 patients in intensive care, a new record since the start of the pandemic. Authorities have again pointed out that only through vaccination and observance of the prevention rules will Romania be able to get rid of the pandemic. According to physician Andreea Moldovan, state secretary with the Health Ministry, the third wave is different than the others, with a higher number of cases and increased gravity. In her opinion, if containment measures are relaxed or ignored by people, they would stay in force for longer. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout is in full swing in Romania with over 2 million vaccinated; half of them with the booster dose.



    PROTESTS For the third night in a row, Bucharest and several big cities across Romania on Tuesday saw large-scale protests against the anti-Covid measures imposed by the authorities. Chanting anti-government slogans, the protesters called on the authorities to cancel the mandatory wear of face masks and reopen gyms and fitness facilities. Romanias president Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday said that he understands the discontent of the Romanians after a year of restrictions, adding these measures are the only means that can help Romania to contain the pandemic. The Romanian president also said that protests are normal in a functioning democracy but violence, extremism and xenophobia are intolerable and completely unacceptable. The president’s statement came after clashes in some of Romania’s cities. Opposition leader Marcel Ciolacu said that people took to the streets out of poverty and despair caused by the ongoing medical crisis.



    TALKS The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu and the US secretary of state Antony Blinken Tuesday had talks over telephone about Romania’s contribution to NATO, energy security and the rule of law. Washington praised Romania for being a staunch NATO ally and for its commitment to strengthening security at the Black Sea, while Bucharest gave assurances these approaches would continue. The two officials also tackled the developing bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear energy and the efforts to diversify gas supplies in Europe. Minister Aurescu mentioned the priority of Romania’s government related to the country’s OECD accession and voiced his belief that the US would support Romania’s intention. He also highlighted the interest in the rapid progress of the Visa Waiver programme and an increased US military presence in Romania.



    ANTI-SEMITISM The Chamber of Deputies Wednesday adopted a joint statement condemning anti-Semitic messages in Romania and attempts at rehabilitating war criminals. The response comes after actress Maia Morgenstern, head of the State Jewish Theatre in Bucharest, received death threats. Anti-Semitism is a threat to democracy, and acknowledging the past is a key element of responsibility, both in the present and in the future, reads the statement signed by the Deputies at the initiative of the representative of Jewish communities in Parliament, Silviu Vexler.


    AIR POLICE The Spanish Air Forces unit deployed to Romania in early February, at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base, has completed its mission. The 130-strong team of pilots and technicians with 6 Eurofighter Typhoon conducted air police missions under NATO command jointly with Romanian Air Forces troops using F-16 and MiG-21 LanceR. The Spanish unit will be replaced by a British Royal Air Force unit currently being deployed to Romania. (tr. A.M. Popescu)