Radio România Internațional

Tag: Nelu

August 28, 2020

COVID-19 – Romania has reported 1,318 fresh cases
of SARS-CoV-2 in the past 24 hours, the Strategic Communication Group has
announced. 48 new fatalities have been reported bringing the total death toll to
3,507. Since the beginning of the pandemic Romania has reported a total of
84,468 cases while 37,056 patients have been declared healed. 8,797 people are
presently in home isolation while 30,877 people have been quarantined at home.
497 patients are in intensive care units. 6,589 Romanian nationals abroad have
been confirmed positive, most of them in Germany, Italy and Spain. 126 of these
have died so far. According to the country’s Health Minister Nelu Tataru, there
is no need for additional restrictive measures in Romania as the number of
infections is on a downward trend.

PANDEMIC – Over 24.6 million Covid infections
have been reported around the world with a death toll that exceeds 830 thousand
according to worldometers.info. The larges number of cases has been reported in
the USA and Brazil. Data released by the Johns Hopkins University shows that
the death toll in the USA is presently exceeding 180 thousand. According to
AFP, although the number of infections has been going down in the past weeks,
the country is far from overcoming the medical crisis. Since the beginning of
the pandemic Brazil has registered 3,761,391 infections with an official death
toll of 118,649, coming second after the USA in a ranking of the most affected
countries.

ELECTION – A campaign for the
local election due on September 27th has officially kicked off in
Romania. The election, which was initially scheduled to take place in June, has
been postponed due to the pandemic. Campaign teams and candidates are going to
wear masks during both outdoor and indoor meetings. Indoor meetings will be
attended by 50 people at the most, whereas the number of participants in the
outdoor events should not exceed 100 people.

INS
– On January 1st this year Romania had a resident population of
19,318,000, 96,500 less than in the same period last year – a communiqué issued
by the National Institute for Statistics (INS) shows, confirming the phenomenon
of population aging has deepened. According to the same sources, the main cause
of this demographic slump is the negative population growth as the number of
deceased has exceeded the number of births by 73,630. According to the INS,
Romania continues to be a country with a large number of emigrants, which is
the second cause of this demographic slump.

MEETING – Over
August 27-28 Romania’s Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is participating in the
informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Berlin, held under the EU’s
German presidency. On Thursday, the participants voiced concern over the latest
developments in Belarus following the August 9th election, the
authorities’ abuses against peaceful protesters and the accuses against the
West for its alleged involvement in the events. The Romanian minister stood in
favour of a prompt and rapid EU reaction and for the proper sanctioning of
those involved in the rigged election and in the violent reprisals against the
protesters. High on the meeting’s agenda today are the situation in the Eastern
Mediterranean, the EU-Turkey relations and the geo-political impact of the
Covid-19 pandemic.

(translated by bill)

28 August 2020
The government is bracing up for a new school year

The government in Bucharest has earmarked 175
million Euros out of EU funds for preparing the new school year due to commence
on September 14th. The money is to be used by the local authorities
for the purchase of tablets, masks and sanitary cabins.

More than half of the money, 100 million Euros
will be used on computer tablets and other electronic devices aimed at assisting
the online education of roughly 500 thousand students, Ionel Danca, head of the
Prime Minister’s chancellery has said. The government will invest 50 million
euros in the purchase of masks and disinfectants for schools and 25 million
others in mobile sanitary cabins.

The experience of last semester, when the risk
of transmitting the novel coronavirus in schools made the authorities to
suspend classes has prompted the government to also take into consideration a
worst-case scenario, with three positive persons per one thousand inhabitants
in a locality in the past 14 days. A situation like this would prompt the
authorities to close down the school in that locality and hold online courses.

In early August, when the number of daily
infections didn’t go under 1,000, the aforementioned situation was reported
only in 50 localities. Several hundred other localities became part of the
medium-risk category with between one and three people infected per thousand and
in this case, preschoolers, pupils in their first school years and students in
their last who need to take exams, will become a special priority. The others
will get online courses and are going to school in rotation. These scenarios
are to be updated constantly in keeping with the local epidemiological
situation.

Upon proposals from schools and the School Inspectorate, the
Committee for Emergency Situations is going to decide whether students will
stay at home or go to school. Here is Romania’s Health Minister Nelu Tataru
with more on this.

Nelu Tataru: We’ve
allowed the freedom, so to say, to local authorities, county school
inspectorates and public health directions to adjust the scenarios and the
regulations we imposed to every school. In the localities where children can
safely go to school, we believe it’s OK for them to go, with the observation of
certain prevention measures of course, but where there is the risk of
infection, the other two scenarios are to be applied. School has to begin
because we have children who must go to school. We’ve already had half a year
when children had to stay at home and I believe they need to socialize. The
teacher-student relation is also something very important.

In a most-positive scenario, with less than one person infected
per thousand in the past 14 days, the students’ presence in schools will be
mandatory not optional, as Education Minister Monica Anisie explains.

(translated by bill)

25 August 2020
Romania’s Healthcare Minister has again cautioned against the novel coronavirus

Romania has
lately seen an increase in the number of Covid-19 infections although the chart
of the daily infections has hit a certain ceiling. Pundits believe the main
problem is the pressure exerted upon the country’s healthcare system whose specialised
personnel are tired and scarce. The
daily death toll has also increased from one day to another and so has the
number of those in need of intensive care to survive the severe forms of
Covid-19. Health Minister Nelu Tataru believes the number of infections will
increase in the next week mainly because of the holiday season.

Nelu
Tataru: With the holiday season in full
swing now we are presently dealing with a higher number of cases. We are doing
a lot of tests and consequently we expect many of these to be positive. We must
clinically deal with these positive tests, and address the medium and severe,
which are going to need intensive care treatment, where our resources are
limited.

Romania
presently has 100 places in intensive care units fitted with ventilators. In
this context, the minister has pointed out that prevention rules must be
observed in order to limit the spreading of the virus. He has voiced hope that
people have understood the importance of this moment and are no longer
minimizing the situation.

As long as
we have new cases, the medical personnel that we now rely on will be
overwhelmed. And since prevention rules aren’t observed, we can only handle
what we get in hospitals. We have a limit, the minister says adding that a
pandemic is not stopped in hospitals but outside them.

The
minister has also recalled that the government had to also handle a period of
legislation vacuum during which over 46 hundred people infected refused hospitalisation
and left hospitals. Authorities are now trying to identify these people in
order to conduct epidemiological investigations. Those showing symptoms are
being hospitalised, while those who do not have symptoms are being tested by
paramedics and other mobile units and isolated at home.

In another
development, a monograph titled ‘The Covid-19 pandemic in Romania – Clinical
and epidemiological aspects’ was released on Thursday by the Romanian Academy
Publishing House. Attending the event, the country’s Health Minister underlined
the support offered by the Academy is essential and gave assurances the medical
personnel are doing their job in spite of the fatigue they are currently
experiencing.

According
to Horatiu Moldovan, state secretary with the Ministry of Healthcare, the
volume represents a major element of scientific research, which comes to
indisputably prove and endorse the measures taken during the pandemic in
Romania. The work also includes a synthesis of scientific data gleaned
internationally and corroborated with clinical expertise and research of some
of the most reputed scientists Romania has.

(translated by bill)

14 August 2020
The latest epidemiological developments cast a question mark over the next relaxation measures

The
Technical-Scientific Group consulted by the government in Bucharest has
proposed the postponement of the fourth stage of relaxation measures, which was
supposed to be implemented as of July 1st.

The
proposal came against the background of an alarming rise in the Covid
infections in the past days as many Romanians fail to observe the prevention
rules. The number of daily infections continue to be higher than the number of patients
cured, which means that hospitals in Romania are overcrowded.

The number
of patients needing intensive care is also on the rise and so is the death
toll. In an interview to a TV channel, Romania’s Health Minister Nelu Tataru
has referred to an unfavourable evolution in the past two weeks and for this
reason the introduction of the new relaxation measures has been postponed at
least at the level of the Technical-Scientific Group.

Nelu Tătaru: We
have seen an increase in the number of infections in the past two weeks. In
these two weeks we have seen a higher number of patients needing intensive care
and also an increase in the number of deaths. So the Technical Group experts
have recommended that the new relaxation measures planned for July 1st
be postponed. We are presently handling an increased number of infections and
at the level of this group it has been decided to postpone this fourth
relaxation stage. We are monitoring the situation daily, every week and every
other week and if it improves we will start considering another series of
relaxation measures. And in case of an intense community contagion, we are
considering imposing restrictions in certain locations to isolate outbreaks and
impose quarantine measures.

A
final decision on the issue is expected from the Executive in Bucharest on
Wednesday. The government is also expected to convene on Wednesday for a new
plan of measures against the spreading of the Covid pandemic. Prime Minister
Ludovic Orban, who said the latest developments impose caution, has summoned
the ministers and other high officials from the Interior, Health Ministers as
well as from the police and other state institutions with control attributions.

In
another development, the National Committee for Emergency Situations has
already decided that event organisers who do not comply with prevention regulations
have their license suspended. In their turn epidemiologists have pointed out that
unless prevention measures are observed the number of cases can continue to
rise. Romania has so far confirmed over 26,500 Covid infections. Suceava in
north-eastern Romania ranks first in terms of the number of cases followed by
Bucharest and Brasov, in the center of the country. Roughly 19 thousand people
have been declared cured and allowed to leave hospitals whereas over 16 hundred
people have died.

30 June 2020
June 8, 2020 UPDATE

PENTECOST Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers from
all over the world, Romania included, on Monday celebrated the second day of
Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the 12 apostles enabling them to
convey the Lord’s message in languages they had never spoken before. Upon
Apostle Peter’s speech, over 3000 people embraced Christianity making up the
nucleus of the first Christian Church in Jerusalem. Thousands of Romanians chose
to spend this mini-holiday in various resorts in the Prahova Valley, the Black
Sea coast and the Danube Delta.

PARTICIPATION Romania participates in ‘Team Europe’, one of the most ambitious
international assistance programmes being also part of ‘The Coronavirus Global
Response’, a fund-raising initiative aimed at developing and producing
treatment schemes, the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest on Monday announced. During
the informal proceedings of the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, ministers
and state secretaries in charge of cooperation for development in the EU member
countries were assessing a programme aimed at providing assistance to
developing countries, which are facing difficulties in their attempt to contain
the Covid-19 pandemic. Romania’s funding priorities within Team Europe include:
boosting the institutional capabilities of healthcare systems, ensuring food safety,
a sustainable management of water resources and fighting fake news during the
pandemic. Education is another assistance means, and Romania has doubled the
scholarships granted to the young people from African countries since the
previous university year.

ALERT The state of alert could be extended in
Romania after June 15th, as there is still the risk of community
contagion and new outbreaks might appear, Health Minister Nelu Tataru told a TV
channel. A decision in this respect is expected from the National Committee for
Emergency Situations based on how the pandemic will develop after some of the restrictions
have been lifted. The latest toll stood at 1,339 fatalities out of more than 20,600
infections confirmed. 3,304 Romanian nationals have been infected abroad. Most
of the cases have been reported in Italy, nearly 1900, but the largest number
of fatalities among the Romanian nationals has been reported by Britain, over
40. Britain has also reported the lowest number of infections among the
Romanian nationals, below 100. The authorities in Bucharest have specified they
get data from Romania’s diplomatic missions in these countries from the local
authorities and even directly from the Romanian citizens abroad. In another
development, Health Minister Nelu Tataru has estimated that a possible second
wave of the pandemic will not have the same intensity as the first. The
Romanian official expects the situation to normalize by late July or early
August, provided the population complies with the prevention measures.

PANDEMIC The number of Coronavirus
infections around the world has exceeded 7.1 million and more than 406 thousand
people have died. 3.5 million patients have been declared cured. The United
States has registered over 1,900,000 Covid infections and 110,000 fatalities.
The most affected countries in Europe remain France, Italy and Spain. Brazil
comes second after the USA in a world ranking with over 690 thousand infections
and more than 37 thousand fatalities.

REQUEST Employers Associations in Romania’s
tourism have called on the government to lift all restrictions allowing the
functioning of the terraces and resuming partial activity inside restaurants,
starting June 15th. Representatives of these associations have
explained in an open letter that going beyond this date would be tantamount to
increasing the losses this economy sector has so far incurred, which account
for 30% of the turnover in the previous years. The signatories have called
among other things for a tax cancellation in the second half of the year, the
possibility of paying taxes and duties in installments, for non-reimbursable
European loans and the proper legislation to half local taxes this year. The
government is presently considering several alternatives for jump-starting
Romania’s tourist sector, relying on both local and EU funds, the country’s
Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan has written on a social network.

TAROM As of Monday, Romania’s air carrier TAROM resumed its flights to
London. According to an announcement posted on the company’s Facebook page,
from Britain, TAROM planes will accept only the citizens who have applied for
repatriation and only British citizens will be allowed to board in Bucharest.
Ticket prices start from 267 Euros. Also on Monday, Britain introduces a
mandatory quarantine for travelers arriving in the country.

TRAVEL According to a report published by Forbes magazine Romania ranks
57th among the safest countries to visit in this period. The ranking
has been made after processing data gleaned from 200 countries. The safest
country to visit is Switzerland and second comes Germany. At this moment, the
most dangerous places to visit are Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, some
Middle East and Asian countries.

(translated by bill)

8 June 2020
June 8, 2020

PENTECOST Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers from
all over the world, Romania included, are today celebrating the second day of
Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the 12 apostles enabling them to
convey the Lord’s message in languages they had never spoken before. Upon
Apostle Peter’s speech, over 3000 people embraced Christianity making up the
nucleus of the first Christian Church in Jerusalem. Thousands of Romanians have
taken to resorts in the Prahova Valley, the Black Sea coast and the Danube
Delta to spend the mini-holidays occasioned by this event.

COVID-19 Over 20,600 Romanians have reportedly been
infected with the new coronavirus authorities in this country have announced.
More than 14,800 patients have been cured and left hospitals. 1,334 people have
died since the outbreak in Romania and 3,304 have been infected abroad. Most of
the cases have been reported in Italy, nearly 1900, but most of the fatalities
among the Romanian nationals have been registered in Britain, over 40. Britain
has also reported the lowest number of infections among the Romanian nationals,
below 100. The authorities in Bucharest have specified they get data from
Romania’s diplomatic missions in these countries from the local authorities and
even directly from the Romanian citizens abroad. In another development, Health
Minister Nelu Tataru has estimated that a possible second wave of the pandemic
will not have the same intensity as the first. The Romanian official expects
the situation to normalize by late July or early August, provided the
population complies with the prevention measures.

REQUEST Employer’s Associations in Romania’s
tourism sector have called on the government to lift all restrictions allowing
the functioning of the terraces and resuming partial activity inside
restaurants, starting June 15th. Representatives of these associations
have explained in an open letter that going beyond this date would be
tantamount to increasing the losses this economy sector has so far incurred,
which account for 30% of the turnover in the previous years. The signatories
have called among other things for a tax cancellation in the second half of the
year, the possibility of paying taxes and duties in installments, for
non-reimbursable European loans and the proper legislation to half local taxes
this year. The government is presently considering several alternatives for jump-starting
Romania’s tourist sector, relying on both local and EU funds, the country’s
Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan has written on a social network.

TAROM As of Monday, Romania’s air carrier TAROM resumes its flights to
London. According to an announcement posted on the company’s Facebook page,
from Britain, TAROM planes will accept only the citizens who have applied for
repatriation and only British citizens will be allowed to board in Bucharest.
Ticket prices will start from 267 Euros. Also on Monday, Britain introduces a
mandatory quarantine for travelers arriving in the country.

TRAVEL According to a report published by Forbes magazine Romania ranks
57th among the safest countries to visit in this period. The ranking
has been made after analyzing data from 200 countries. The safest country to
visit is Switzerland and second comes Germany. At this moment, the most
dangerous places to visit are Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, some Middle
East and Asian countries.

(translated by bill)

8 June 2020
June 6, 2020 UPDATE

S&P Standard
and Poor’s has maintained Romania’s rating in the category recommended for
investment. However its outlook remains negative with risks over the budget
balance in the following 18 months in the absence of a political intervention
for fiscal consolidation. One of the issues would be the pension rise in
September the Finance Ministry in Bucharest has announced in a communique
hailing the agency’s decision. According to pundits, keeping the rating at BBB-
means the Romanian economy is not facing a severe crisis and for Finance
Minister Florin Citu, the agency’s decision confirms the fact that the
government measures aimed at curbing the pandemic effects and ensure
sustainable public finances have been correct. International experts believe
the economy will shrink by 5.5% this year. Romania has benefited from an
investment-friendly rating from S&P’s since 2014.

COVID-19 A possible second wave of the Covid
pandemic will not have the same intensity as the first, Romania’s Health
Minister, Nelu Tataru says. He underlined that preparation measures must be
taken, including the anti-flu vaccination of the vulnerable categories as well
as the proper supplies of medicine and equipment. The minister believes that if
people comply with the prevention measures, the situation is going to normalize
in this country in late July or early August. Authorities in Romania have so
far reported over 20,200 Covid infections, while more than 14,400 patients have
been cured and released from hospitals. The new coronavirus has killed 1318
people in Romania as well as 114 out of the 31 hundred Romanian nationals
reported infected abroad.

POLICE Romania’s Interior Ministry has increased the number of police
troops deployed during the Pentecost mini-holiday in this country. So roughly
21 thousand police, gendarme and firefighters have been deployed around the
country to ensure law and order during the holidays. Romania’s motorways will
be monitored by 17 hundred road police with over 300 radar guns backed by
helicopters from the General Aviation Inspectorate. Close to 52 hundred
gendarme troops have been deployed in the regions with a potential higher number
of visitors such as tourist resorts. More than 180 gendarmes from the mountain
corps are expected to be present on various mountain routes.

HOLIDAY Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers from all
over the world, including from Romania will be celebrating Pentecost on Sunday,
marking the day when the Holy Spirit came down upon the 12 apostles enabling
them to convey God’s message in foreign languages they had never spoken before.
On the same day, upon Apostle Peter’s speech, almost 3,000 people embraced
Christianity, making up the first Christian community in Jerusalem, the nucleus
of the future Christian Church. Thousands of Romanians have taken to various resorts
on the Prahova Valley, the Danube Delta and the Black Sea coast for this
holiday.

(translated by bill)

6 June 2020
June 6, 2020

COVID-19
Romania has so far
confirmed over 20 thousand Covid infections. Out of these more than 14,100 patients
have been cured and released from hospitals. 1318 people have been killed by
the disease so far. 3,100 Romanian nationals have been confirmed infected
abroad, where 114 have already died. Romania’s Health Minister Nelu Tataru has
again said that wearing a mask in public places and transport vehicles remains compulsory
and that prevention measures must be maintained until there is no risk for
community contagion.

OUTLOOK In its latest communiqué, Standard & Poor’s rating agency has
confirmed Romania’s rating to ‘BBB-/A-3’ for long and short term loans in
foreign and local currency with a negative outlook. Although the agency expects
the pandemic’s negative economic effects to lead to an increase in the
country’s government debt to 43% of the GDP in 2020, it also estimates that
significant consolidation measures will be implemented upon the general
election in 2020. Romania’s rating outlook remains negative as the agency believes
the balance of foreign payments and of the budget may be at risk in the
following 18 months, unless political decision-makers can stabilize and
consolidate budgetary direction after this pandemic-induced recession. S&P
believes Romania’s economic activity will start improving in the second half of
this year and in 2021 the country may see a 4% economic growth. Romania’s
current account deficit is expected to increase up to 5% of the GDP in 2020 and
to 4% of the GDP until 2023 in the wake of increasing demand and a steady consolidation
of exports.

POLICE Romania’s Interior Ministry has increased the number of police
troops deployed during the Pentecost mini-holiday in this country. So roughly
21 thousand police, gendarme and firefighters have been deployed around the
country to ensure law and order during the holidays. Romania’s motorways will
be monitored by 17 hundred road police with over 300 radar guns backed by
helicopters from the General Aviation Inspectorate. Close to 52 hundred
gendarme troops have been deployed in the regions with a potential higher number of visitors,
such as the tourist resorts. More than 180 gendarmes from the mountain corps
are expected to be present on various mountain routes.

HOLIDAY Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers from all
over the world, including from Romania will be celebrating Pentecost on Sunday,
marking the day when the Holy Spirit came down upon the 12 apostles enabling
them to convey God’s message in foreign languages they had never spoken before.
On the same day, upon Apostle Peter’s speech, almost 3,000 people embraced
Christianity, making up the first Christian community in Jerusalem, the nucleus
of the future Christian Church. Thousands of Romanians have taken to various resorts
on the Prahova Valley, the Danube Delta and the Black Sea coast for this
holiday.

(translated by bill)

6 June 2020