Radio România Internațional

Tag: quarantine

  • Crowding in border checkpoints

    Crowding in border checkpoints

    As it happens every year, the Romanians living abroad
    are beginning to come home these days to spend their winter holidays with their
    families. This is the second Christmas and New Year’s that people will
    celebrate under pandemic restrictions.


    The new rules for entering Romania, introduced by the
    authorities on December 10 to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus
    variant, Omicron, are making checkpoints even more crowded than usual. Many Romanians
    are not vaccinated and unaware of the new restrictions.


    Those who come from outside the EU must present a PCR
    test not older than 48 hours. Those who test negative, even if unvaccinated or
    not recovered from the disease, will have to isolate for 10 days, while
    travellers without a test will have to quarantine for 14 days.


    For those who come from the EU, the requirements
    include the digital certificate confirming vaccination, recovery from the
    disease or a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours. The rules apply for
    both Romanian and foreign nationals.


    Border police warn that, because people are not aware
    of these regulations, at the Nădlac 2 checkpoint on Romania’s western border, in
    8 hours as many as 1,400 people were quarantined either for 10 or for 14 days. And
    with the quarantine documents requiring time to fill in, the waiting times at
    the border are even longer.


    In order to avoid crowding, the number of agents and
    of lanes has been increased in most border points. But even so, people are
    waiting for as long as 2 hours to get into Romania.


    And so do lorries and trucks. Customs officers and
    border police say their number has been on the rise since mid-November, when fruit
    and vegetable imports went up, and the processing capacity stayed the same.


    According to border police, these days at the southern
    border, with Bulgaria, truck drivers have been waiting for as long as 2 hours, on
    the western border, in Borş 2, waiting times are around one hour, and in the
    north-east, at the Ukrainian border, the longest waiting time is 2 hours, at
    the Siret checkpoint. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • November 27, 2021 UPDATE

    November 27, 2021 UPDATE

    Covid-19 Ro – In Bucharest, the National Committee for Emergency Situations decided that the Romanian citizens or citizens from the EU and Switzerland, who come from southern African countries, where the new, more contagious strain of the noel coronavirus emerged, will be quarantined, regardless of whether they are vaccinated or not. They can be released from quarantine after 10 days if the Covid-test-result is negative. The authorities have also updated the list of countries/territories with a high epidemiological risk which now also includes Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The access on the Romanian territory of the non-EU foreigners arriving from the mentioned countries has been forbidden. On the other hand, 1,727 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, and 180 deaths, of which 19 were registered prior to the reference period. Only four counties are still in the red scenario. The COVID-19 incidence rate calculated for a period of 14 days for Bucharest dropped to 2.26 cases per thousand inhabitants. As for the vaccination campaign, since its start in December, about 7.35 million people have been fully vaccinated.



    COVID world — The World Health Organization has labeled the new coronavirus variant from Africa, called Omicron, a ‘variant of concern’. The variant has a large number of mutations and could be even more contagious than the Delta variant. More and more states have decided to close their borders to people in southern Africa. Restrictions have been announced by the US, Canada, Turkey, as well as by some EU member states. The President of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen, said that all Member States, through coordination, should activate the so-called Safety Mechanism to suspend flights to countries in southern Africa. The new variant has already been detected in Europe.



    Resilience plan — The loan agreement through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism between the European Commission and Romania for the disbursement of a first tranche, worth approximately 15 billion Euros, was initialed on Friday by the new Finance Minister, Adrian Câciu, the finance ministry announced on Saturday. The loan will be used to finance the state budget deficit and to refinance the government public debt, based on budget expenditures made for the reforms provided for in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The amounts will be made available in ten installments, based on the fulfillment by the Romanian side of the targets provided in the reforms and investments associated with the loan. At the same time, the European Commission will make available a pre-financing of 13% of the loan (about 1.94 billion Euros), after the Agreement comes into force. Under the PNRR Romania benefits from approximately 29 billion Euros, almost half of the amount being a grant and the rest a loan.



    Tennis — Romania’s team leads the team of the state of Peru 2-0 in the qualification playoffs for the Davis Cup final phase after the tennis player Marius Copil defeated Conner Huertas del Pino 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday in Cluj (northwest), in the second singles match of the competition. In the first singles match, Nicolae Frunză defeated Nicolas Alvarez, in 2 sets, 6-2, 6-4. The doubles match between Marius Copil / Horia Tecău and Sergio Galdos / Arklon Huertas del Pino will take place on Sunday. Sunday will also see the singles matches between Marius Copil – Nicolas Alvarez and Nicolae Frunză – Conner Huertas del Pino. Romania and Peru meet for the first time in the Davis Cup.

  • Differentiated restrictions in Romania

    Differentiated restrictions in Romania

    The Romanian government decided during Thursdays session to establish night quarantine measures at the weekend in those localities where the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate exceeds 6 cases per thousand. So far, this threshold was 4 per thousand inhabitants. Also in these localities, businesses will have working hours with the public between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. There is an exception, though. Vaccinated people can leave their homes and travel to areas where the Covid incidence threshold is higher than 6 per thousand inhabitants, but they need to present the green certificate attesting to their vaccination. At the same time, the Romanian government has decided that minors up to 12 years will no longer need the green certificate for access inside public spaces. Until now, the age limit was 6 years. The Prime Minister Florin Cîţu said that, regardless of the restrictions, vaccination must be a priority for as many Romanians as possible.



    Florin Cîţu: “The only solution to solve the pandemic problem is vaccination, the green certificate. When a restriction or other measure appears, we close at 8 p.m., but restrictions do not solve the pandemic problem. The pandemic problem is solved only by vaccination and that is what I will continue to repeat, on and on: if we want to get over the pandemic, we have to get vaccinated – it is very simple. I think it is much more important that this effort be multiplied by the responsibility of each of us”.



    Florin Cîţu believes that compulsory vaccination should be the last resort to stop the pandemic, after the other measures announced. The prime minister says that if this decision is eventually made, the authorities should think of what happens to those who, despite the mandatory vaccination rule, still refuse to get vaccinated. He added that a bill on the compulsory vaccination of a certain category of persons might be introduced in Parliament, among whom medical staff and teachers. Meanwhile, the authorities announced that the threshold of 10 million vaccine doses administered in Romania since the start of the vaccination campaign, on December 27, 2020, has been exceeded.



    All in all more than 5.4 million people have been vaccinated, of whom about 5.3 million have been fully vaccinated. The increasing number of cases boosted the vaccination campaign, so that this week, in one single day, twice as many people as compared to the previous period were immunized, most of them with the first dose.



    Over the past days the number of people contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 has grown alarmingly, as well as of Covid-related deaths. ICUs across Romania are packed and some of those with serious forms of Covid-19 in this 4th wave of the pandemic are children. The National Committee for Emergency Situations has announced that, as of Sunday, Romania enters the yellow scenario following the surge in the number of contaminations. (LS)

  • New restrictions

    New restrictions

    On Wednesday Romania reported a record number of infections with the new coronavirus in one single day, namely more than 2,000. SARS-CoV-2 kills tens of Romanians every day, with the total death toll nearing 5,000. Since the onset of the pandemic, around 130 thousand people have been infected with the virus, and more than 100 thousand patients have recovered. Professor Alexandru Rafila, a member in the World Health Organization Executive Committee, says Romania is now in the grips of a second wave of the pandemic, like many other EU countries.



    Although worrying, the situation is not unexpected. Both experts and the mass media had predicted, as early as this summer, that September was going to be a difficult month, as the number of contaminations was going to grow with the start of the new school year, with the people’s return from holidays and the holding of local elections, organized this past Sunday. The PM Ludovic Orban admits that the authorities could not control the celebration parties organized after the results of the elections were announced and called on the participants, irrespective of the party they belong to, to consider themselves ‘potentially infected’ with the new coronavirus.



    The PM also points a finger at the mayors whose terms in office were ending ahead of the elections and who refused to impose in their communities the protection measures adopted by the government to fight the pandemic, for fear they might become unpopular. According to the PM, the newly elected mayors don’t risk losing the citizens’ sympathy and that prefects can ask for the quick enforcement of restrictions where it is necessary.



    Ludovic Orban: “I have asked for intensified checks on regulation observance and for clear decisions to be made. If the law requires it, the authorities must decide on introducing restrictions so as to prevent the spread of the virus. I have equally called on the County Councils for Emergency Situations to impose quarantine measures wherever necessary.”



    The PM has again called on schools and universities representatives to ensure the observance of health protection and disinfection regulations, social distancing and the wearing of masks. PM Orban also announced that, on Monday, the National Committee for Emergency Situations would decide on re-introducing restrictions for those countries which, in the past 14 days, reported an infection rate higher than that reported in Romania.



    He went on to say that the persons coming to Romania for more than 3 days would have to remain in isolation, but they will be able to leave isolation on the 5th day if they produce a negative COVID-19 test. On the other hand, the persons who come to Romania for only 3 days will not be obliged to self-isolation, but they need to produce a negative COVID-19 test, made 48 hours prior to their entering Romania. (tr. L. Simion)

  • September 15, 2020

    September 15, 2020

    ALERT The government in Bucharest has today
    endorsed a decision on extending the state of alert for Romania with another 30
    days beginning on Tuesday. The document stipulates a series of measures
    regulating the ongoing local election campaign and the voting procedures, at
    the same time limiting meetings and demonstrations to 100 people with the
    observance of safety rules and regulations. Voters must use disinfectants while
    entering and exiting poling stations. A mobile polling station will be made
    available first for the healthy but non-transportable persons and then for
    those in isolation and quarantine.








    UNDERGROUND A metro section linking the west of
    Bucharest to its centre was inaugurated on Tuesday. Authorities have given
    assurances that systems are functional to offer safe and comfortable transport.
    This 7 kilometer underground section is the first to have been built from
    scratch since the demise of the communist regime in Romania thirty years ago.
    The section, which should have been ready five years ago and has a total value
    of 0.7 billion Euros, has become part of Bucharest underground network of 78
    kilometres and 63 stations.








    EDUCATION School started in Romania on Monday for
    roughly 3 million students. 12, 500 schools have opened their gates while 5
    thousand others are also offering alternative online course. Against the background
    of the Covid-19 pandemic, more than half of the parents in Romania’s urban
    areas want their children to go to school, shows a recent poll conducted in several
    cities across the country. At the same time 61% of the interviewees believe that
    schools presently cannot offer education in safe conditions while 66% believe
    that students must wear face masks in classrooms.






    CONTEST A series of 55 mini-recitals held by pianists from all over the
    world has today ended as part of the George Enescu International Classical
    Music Contest. The event has been made available at www.festivalenescu.ro and the jury is
    expected to announce the winners on Wednesday. Only 12 out of the total 55
    participants will make it to the competition’s next stage. The most important
    international cultural event, the George Enescu Festival has four contest
    sections, piano, cello, violin and composition and comes fifth in a world
    ranking of classical music contests.








    COVID-19 According to worldometers.info
    the confirmed Covid-19 infections continue to be on the rise at a world level.
    The total number of infections worldwide has reached 29.4 million with a death
    toll of 932 thousand. The most affected countries are the USA, India, Brazil,
    Russia, Peru, Columbia, Mexico, South Africa, Spain and Argentina. The most
    affected African countries are South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia and
    Nigeria while in Europe the most affected are Russia, Spain, France, the UK,
    Turkey, Italy, Germany, Ukraine, Romania, Belgium and Sweden. According to the World
    Health Organisation the situation is going to worsen and the death toll is
    expected to increase in October and November.




    (bill)



  • Restrictions in the holiday season

    Restrictions in the holiday season

    Against the backdrop of the daily increase in the number of COVID-19
    infections, more and more towns and villages are placed in quarantine for 14
    days. The latest name on the list is Faget, in western Romania, and three
    auxiliary villages. The measure was introduced after dozens of locals reported
    sick and another 100 people made direct contact with them. Medical and
    auxiliary staff at the local hospital have also tested positive. Police
    officers are checking the necessary documents allowing people to enter or leave
    the area. People must sign statements attesting their movement for justified
    reasons only, such as work, transport of goods, agricultural works, medical
    emergencies or social assistance. Faget Mayor Marcel Avram:


    We hope people
    won’t panic. They won’t be able to leave town except for sound reasons. They
    can travel freely inside the town, for work and groceries. Face masks are
    compulsory in institutions and stores. I hope they grow more aware of the
    danger and take greater care.


    The authorities
    are also closely monitoring areas in Arges County in the south, which ranks 4th
    in terms of the total number of infections. Meanwhile, encouraged by the good
    weather, over 100 thousand people visited Black Seacoast resorts last weekend,
    to the authorities’ despair. Officials see this as a great impediment to their
    efforts to combat the pandemic. After the states of emergency and alert and the
    number of harsh lockdown restrictions that kept them behind closed doors all
    spring, Romanians chose to spend the holidays at home, also faced with travel
    restrictions introduced by a number of European states. Thus beaches are
    overcrowded in the early morning hours. Whether lying on the beach or bathing
    in the water, people are too close to each other, some denying the existence of
    the virus altogether. Others say they are trying to observe the authorities’
    recommendations. The Government has recommended all tourists seek less crowded
    areas and wear face masks, where possible, even in open-air areas. Meanwhile
    the authorities continue to verify all prevention measures are being observed
    and to hand out fines to economic operators on the Black Seacoast.


    (Translated by
    V. Palcu)

  • 21 July 2020, UPDATE

    21 July 2020, UPDATE

    EU recovery plan. EU member states on Tuesday morning reached an agreement on a historic economic
    recovery plan for the Union after 4 days of marathon face-to-face talks in
    Brussels. The 750 billion euro post-crisis plan adds to the EU’s multi-annual
    budget of 1,074 billion euros for the 2021-2027 period. Of the 750 billion
    euros, 390 billion will be granted in grants to the countries worst hit by the
    coronavirus crisis, while 360 billion euros will be available in loans.
    President Klaus Iohannis says Romania is to receive 80 billion euros, which
    will go into to building schools and hospitals and upgrading major public infrastructure.




    Coronavirus Romania. 994 new
    coronavirus cases were reported in Romania on Tuesday, with the total number
    passing 39,000. 36 more people died since the previous report, with the total
    death now toll standing at 2,074. As many as 1.087 patients have been released from
    hospital at their request, while nearly 300 others are still in intensive care.
    Prime minister Ludovic Orban has once again called on citizens to comply with
    protection rules and use face masks indoors. Checks
    in crowded areas, such as markets, outdoor restaurants and public transport, have
    been stepped up. Health minister Nelu Tataru said doctors and other medical
    staff would have to be posted to help with intensive care. Postings will at
    first be voluntary, and if necessary, even obligatory. We are currently seeing
    a progressive rise in the number of cases and in the next two weeks we will try
    to return to quarantine and isolation at home or at hospital, the health
    minister also said. In another move, the Romanian airline Tarom has suspended
    commercial flights to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia,
    Turkey and Lebanon until 15th August, as a result of the travel restrictions
    imposed by the authorities.




    Quarantine. In
    Romania, a new law on quarantine and self-isolation took effect on Tuesday. The
    bill introduced by the Government was drastically amended by Parliament after
    the Constitutional Court ruled that such restrictions can only be imposed by
    law, even in the case of COVID-19 patients. The Cabinet met on Tuesday morning
    to incorporate the provisions of the new law into an executive order that
    extends the state of alert by 30 days as of July 17. Under the new law,
    healthcare authorities may decide that patients be hospitalised for 48 hours for
    an assessment of their medical condition, after which doctors may either extend
    the hospitalisation period or send the patient home, if the risk of disease
    transmission is low. Patients may challenge in court the obligation to
    self-isolate. The same applies for quarantine measures, which concern people
    coming from high-risk areas or who have been in contact with infected people.
    The law also stipulates that doctors and nurses may be posted to hospitals
    experiencing staff shortages, but only for 30 days, and they are entitled to
    bonuses for their work. The law defines the conditions for local or regional
    lockdown, a measure the authorities have often mentioned in recent days.




    Exercise. Two
    Romanian military vessels are taking part in a multinational NATO exercise
    called Sea Breeze 20, held between July 20 and 27 in Ukraine’s territorial waters,
    the Black Sea international waters and the port of Odessa. Over 20 military
    vessels, 19 aircraft and nearly 2,000 troops and officers are taking part.

    Defence talks. Romanian defence minister Nicolae Ciuca on Tuesday met
    general Andre Lanata, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. Talks
    focused on the world crisis generated by the coronavirus outbreak and NATO’s
    involvement in managing it, as well as the impact of the health crisis on
    allied activities. The Romanian official said his country remains committed to
    allocating 2% of its GDP to defence and that the Romanian army continues to
    train and carry out exercises together with its partners and to participate in
    international missions.




    Football. The
    football sides FCSB from Bucharest and Sepsi OSK from Sfântu Gheorghe will be
    playing the Romanian Cup final on neutral ground in Ploiesti on Wednesday evening.
    In the semi-finals, Sepsi defeated CSM Poli Iaşi, while FCSB defeated Dinamo
    Bucharest. The domestic championship resumed last month, after being suspended
    in March because of the coronavirus outbreak. The current leaders in the
    ranking are CSU Craiova followed by the defending champions CFR Cluj. All
    football matches in Romania are played without spectators. (CM)



  • July 21, 2020

    July 21, 2020

    RECOVERY The 27 EU member states this morning in Brussels have reached an agreement on a historic economic recovery plan for the Union. The 750 billion euro post-crisis plan adds to the EUs multi-annual budget of 1,074 billion euro for 2021-2027. Of the 750 billion euros, 390 billion will be granted in subsidies to the countries worst hit by the corona crisis, while 360 billion euro will be available in loans. President Klaus Iohannis announced that Romania will receive 80 billion euros, to build schools and hospitals and upgrade major public systems.



    COVID-19 According to the latest report released by the Strategic Communication Group, the last 24 hours saw 994 new COVID-19 cases in Romania, bringing the total number to 39,133 since late February. 36 people died over the past 24 hours, with the total death toll standing at 2,074. As many as 1.087 patients have been released at their request, while nearly 300 others are still in intensive care. PM Ludovic Orban has once again called on citizens to comply with protection rules and to use face masks indoors. He said the authorities would not like to introduce new restrictions or measures that would impact the economy. The number of checks and inspections in crowded areas, such as markets, outdoor restaurants or public transport, has been increased.



    LAW In Romania, a new law on quarantine and self-isolation has taken effect today. The bill introduced by the Government was drastically amended by Parliament, after the Constitutional Court ruled that such restrictions can only be imposed by law, even in the case of COVID-19 patients. The Cabinet convened this morning to introduce the provisions of the new law in an executive order that extends the state of alert by 30 days, as of July 17. Under the new law, healthcare authorities may decide that patients be hospitalised for 48 hours, for an assessment of their state, after which doctors may either extend the hospitalisation period or send the patient home, if the risk of disease transmission is low. Patients may challenge in court the obligation to self-isolate. The same applies for quarantine measures, which concern people coming from high-risk areas or who have been in contact with infected people. The law also stipulates that doctors and nurses may be transferred to hospitals experiencing staff shortages, but only for 30 days, and they are entitled to bonuses for their work. The law defines the conditions for local or regional lockdowns, a measure that the authorities have been talking about recently.



    PANDEMIC With many restrictions lifted and the holiday season in full swing, the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has doubled in the past 7 weeks, to 15 million, of which 5.3 million active cases at present. Over 614,000 people died. The most affected countries remain the US, Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Chile, and the UK. In Europe, the countries with the highest death tolls are the UK, Italy, France and Spain. Asia also sees large numbers of cases in India, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The WHO warns that indigenous peoples in the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the world, accounting for nearly half a million people, are highly vulnerable and measures must be taken as soon as possible.



    MILITARY Two Romanian military vessels are taking part in a multinational exercise called “Sea Breeze 20, held between July 20 and 27 in Ukraines territorial sea, in the Black Sea international waters and the port of Odessa. Over 20 military vessels, 19 aircraft and nearly 2,000 troops and officers take part in this NATO exercise.



    SPORT The football sides FCSB from Bucharest and Sepsi OSK from Sfântu Gheorghe will be playing the Romanian Cup final on neutral ground in Ploiesti this Wednesday night. In the semi-finals, Sepsi outplayed CSM Poli Iaşi, and FCSB defeated Dinamo Bucharest. Last month, the domestic championship was resumed, after being suspended in March over the COVID-19 epidemic. Topping the standings is CSU Craiova, followed by defending champions CFR Cluj. All football matches in Romania are played without public access.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • July 18, 2020 UPDATE

    July 18, 2020 UPDATE

    Covid-19. In Romania, the
    number of infections with the new coronavirus has exceeded 36,600, according to
    the latest data made public by the Strategic Communication Group. 889 new cases
    in 24 hours were reported on Saturday. Also, 21 more people died, raising the
    pandemic death toll to 2009. Out of those who tested positive, more than 22,400
    have been declared cured and discharged. Abroad, 5,212 Romanians were confirmed
    to be infected with the new coronavirus, and 122 died. Doctors say that one of
    the causes of the explosion in the number of cases is the discharge of positive
    patients on demand. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban stated on Saturday that he did
    not wish to impose measures that would impact the economy in a negative way,
    but that depended on how the rules were observed. In turn, the health minister
    Nelu Tataru said that authorities were not considering delaying the start of
    the school year or the local elections due in September. He also rejected the
    idea of a new state of emergency due to the rise in the number of Covid-19
    cases.














    Pandemic. More than
    14,200,000 people have been infected with the new coronavirus in the world
    since the beginning of the pandemic and almost 600,000 have died. According to
    worldometers.info, more than 8.4 million people have healed so far. The United
    States reported, for the third day in a row, a record number of new cases of
    COVID-19 in 24 hours, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The more
    than 77,600 new contaminations reviewed in one day bring the number of cases of
    infection in the country, since the beginning of the pandemic, to about 3.64
    million. For several weeks now, the United States has been facing a surge spike
    in the number of infections in the south and west of the country. Despite that,
    president Donald Trump has promised to not force the Americans wear masks,
    saying that people must enjoy a certain freedom. His statements contradicts the
    recommendations made by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the US’s chief epidemiologist, who
    called on central and local government to be firm and have people wear masks. In the face of rising contamination and the
    threat of a second wave, several European countries continue to tighten
    sanitation and quarantine conditions. In France, where several outbreaks have
    reappeared in recent days, wearing a mask will become mandatory next week in
    all enclosed spaces reserved for the public. In Australia, Prime Minister Scott
    Morrison postponed the opening of parliament by a few weeks, given that the new
    coronavirus continues to spread in the most densely populated cities in the
    country.














    Quarantine law. Romanian
    President Klaus Iohannis on Saturday promulgated the Law on the establishment
    of measures in the field of public health in situations of epidemiological and
    biological risk. On Thursday, the Bucharest Senate, the decision-making body on
    this matter, adopted the law on quarantine and isolation. In six days of
    debates, numerous changes were made to the bill initiated by the Government.
    Earlier, in the Chamber of Deputies, the document, harshly criticized by
    specialists, the opposition and NGOs, had been changed. In the form in which it
    was definitively voted, the law stipulates, among other things, that the
    quarantine measure is established on the basis of official scientific
    statements and case definition, at the person’s home, at a location declared by
    them or in a space designated by the authorities.






    Laser. Professor
    Gerard Mourou, the winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2018 and the
    initiator of the ELI (Extreme Light Infrastructure) project, came to Romania,
    where he visited, the ELI Center in Măgurele (near Bucharest). Professor Mourou
    particularly appreciated the remarkable progress in the implementation of the
    project, emphasizing the uniqueness, technological and scientific advancement
    of the infrastructure made at the international research platform in the field
    of lasers. He discussed with researchers there the launch of experiments
    related to the use of high-power laser systems in the development of new
    nuclear technologies for energy production with minimal environmental
    pollution. We recall that, in March 2019, the laser in Magurele
    registered a first in world research: it reached 10 PW, the power for which it
    was built, being the most powerful laser in the world. (M. Ignatescu)

  • 17 July 2020, UPDATE

    17 July 2020, UPDATE

    Covid-19 Romania. In Romania, the number of infections with the new coronavirus has
    exceeded 35,800. 799 new cases were reported on Friday, the highest increase
    since the start of the outbreak. More than 22,300 have recovered, and 1,988
    have died. Abroad, more than 5,200 Romanians were confirmed infected with the
    new coronavirus, and 122 died. Prime minister Ludovic Orban on Friday held a
    videoconference with prefects, urging them to have all the institutions
    involved in the fight against the pandemic remain focused, mobilised and
    responsible. He asked them to have all available resources on stand-by to be
    able to fight efficiently against the spread of the virus and punish all
    violations of the rules. The prime minister also called for special care to be given
    to public transport.




    Pandemic. More than 14 million
    people have been infected with the new coronavirus in the world since the
    beginning of the pandemic and more than 594,000 have died, while over 8.3
    million people have recovered. The USA and
    Brazil reported new record increases in the number of new cases. Israel has
    imposed restrictions at the weekends as of Friday due to the large number of
    new daily cases, with restaurants, gyms, shops, shopping centres, hairdressers,
    libraries and museums to be closed. In the face of rising contamination and the
    threat of a second wave, several European countries continue to tighten
    sanitation and quarantine conditions. Germany, one of the relatively least affected
    countries, has authorised tighter local quarantine measures, with bans on
    exit from limited geographical areas in the event of peak contamination.
    In France, where cases have spiked in recent days, wearing a mask will become
    mandatory next week in all enclosed public spaces. Sweden, which has attracted
    worldwide attention with its less strict coronavirus strategy, is now facing a
    record number of new cases in the European Union, but authorities say the
    epidemic is slowing down. The regional authorities in Catalonia on Friday urged
    the inhabitants of Barcelona, Spain’s second largest city, to stay at home and
    not assemble in groups of more than ten people.






    Quarantine law. On Thursday, the Romanian Senate adopted, as a decision-making body, the
    law on quarantine and isolation. In six days of debates, the bill initiated by
    the Government went through numerous changes. Earlier, in the Chamber of
    Deputies, the document, harshly criticised by specialists, the opposition and
    NGOs, was amended considerably. Its final version stipulates, among other
    things, that the quarantine measure is established on the basis of official
    scientific statements and case definition, at the person’s home, at a location
    declared by them or in a space designated by the authorities.




    Economy.
    The Romanian Government has approved a set of bills aimed at restarting
    economic activities. They provide for funding for digitization and staff
    training, which can benefit large companies as well as SMEs. At the same time,
    the Executive adopted a project granting 200 million euros for the
    establishment of enterprises in rural areas and an emergency ordinance that
    supports the leasing of equipment and machinery by SMEs. Another bill allocates
    150 million euros to support new business ideas proposed by students, while the
    elderly people with low pensions will receive electronic vouchers for a hot
    meal.




    European Council. Brussels is playing host to an extraordinary meeting of the European
    Council. The meeting is dedicated to negotiating the multiannual budget of the
    European Union for the next seven years and the European Economic Recovery
    Plan. Present at the meeting, the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis suports his his country’s major objective, namely to obtain as big an
    allocation as possible under the common agricultural policy and the cohesion policy.
    Iohannis is also in favour of for appropriate allocations for the less
    developed regions of the Union, as well as for increased flexibility in the
    absorption of funds. Regarding the economic recovery plan, Klaus Iohannis supports the option of a higher share of grants compared to loans in the total
    amounts allocated and the idea of a long period for the
    implementation of the new recovery instrument, so that the amounts can be fully
    and efficiently absorbed. (CM)

  • July 17, 2020

    July 17, 2020

    Covid-19 Romania. In Romania, the number of infections with the new coronavirus has exceeded 35,800, according to data announced on Friday by the Strategic Communication Group. Since the previous report, 799 new cases have been registered, which is an absolute record since the start of the pandemic. Of the people confirmed positive, more than 22,300 have been declared cured and discharged. Another 17 people infected with COVID-19 lost their lives, the death toll reaching 1988. Abroad, 5202 Romanians were confirmed infected with the new coronavirus, and 122 died due to COVID-19. On Wednesday, the Bucharest government extended the state of alert by 30 days, due to the increase in the number of cases of infection with the new coronavirus.



    Quarantine law. On Thursday, the Romanian Senate adopted, as a decision-making body, the law on quarantine and isolation. In six days of debates, the bill initiated by the Government went through numerous changes. Earlier, in the Chamber of Deputies, the document, harshly criticized by specialists, the opposition and NGOs, had been seriously amended. In the form in which it was definitively voted, the law stipulates, among other things, that the quarantine measure is established on the basis of official scientific statements and case definition, at the persons home, at a location declared by them or in a space designated by the authorities.



    European Council. An extraordinary European Council meeting takes place in Brussels today and tomorrow. The meeting is dedicated to negotiating the multiannual budget of the European Union for the next seven years and the European Economic Recovery Plan. Present at the meeting, the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will reaffirm the major objective of Bucharest in terms of the future budget of the union, namely to obtain the most important allocations for the common agricultural policy and for the cohesion one. The head of state will advocate for appropriate allocations for the less developed regions of the Union, as well as for increased flexibility in the absorption of amounts. Regarding the economic recovery plan, Klaus Iohannis will support the option of a higher share of grants compared to loans in the total amounts allocated and will support the idea of a long period for the implementation of the new recovery instrument, so that the amounts can be fully and efficiently absorbed.



    Economy. The Romanian Government has approved a set of bills aimed at restarting economic activities. It is about providing funding for digitization and staff training, which can benefit large companies as well as SMEs. At the same time, the Executive adopted a project granting 200 million euros for the establishment of enterprises in rural areas and an emergency ordinance that supports the leasing of equipment and machinery by SMEs. Another normative act adopted allocates 150 million euros to support new business ideas that are proposed by students, and the elderly with low pensions will receive electronic vouchers for a hot meal.



    Pandemic. Nearly 14 million people have been infected with the new coronavirus in the world since the beginning of the pandemic and more than 592,000 have died. According to worldometers.info, almost 8.3 million people have been cured so far. In the last 24 hours, the USA and Brazil have reported new records of detected cases, reaching, in total, almost 3.7 million cases and over 2 million respectively. On the other hand, Israel imposes restrictions on weekends as of Friday due to the large number of new cases detected daily. Among other things, restaurants and gyms, shops, shopping malls, barbershops, libraries, museums will be closed. In the face of rising contamination and the threat of a second wave, several European countries continue to tighten sanitation and quarantine conditions. Germany, one of the relatively least affected countries, has authorized strengthened local quarantine measures, with “bans on exit” from limited geographical areas in the event of peak contamination. In France, where several outbreaks of contamination have reappeared in recent days, wearing a mask will become mandatory next week in all enclosed spaces reserved for the public. Sweden, which has attracted worldwide attention with its less stringent coronavirus strategy, is now facing a record number of new cases of Covid-19 in the European Union, but authorities say the epidemic is slowing down.



    Corruption. In Romania, the former prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate, Mircea Negulescu, was placed under judicial control for 60 days. The same measure was taken in the case of the policeman Mihai Iordache, detained, together with the former magistrate, by prosecutors with the department in charge of investigating crimes in the judiciary. The sentence is not final and can be challenged. The two are accused of inventing evidence in two cases. Among them, the “Tony Blair” case, in which the former Social Democrat prime minister Victor Ponta, currently the leader of the Pro Romania party, was accused of arranging the visit of the former head of the British government in Romania to gain image capital in the 2012 election campaign. Negulescu is accused, among other things, of abuse of office, unjust repression and false declarations.



    Cyber-crime. The United Kingdom, the United States and Canada have claimed that hackers in Russia have cyber-attacked several organizations that trying to find a vaccine against coronavirus infection. “During 2020, the APT29 hacker group has launched attacks on organizations involved in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Most likely, its purpose was stealing information and intellectual property related to the development and testing of coronavirus vaccines “- reads a joint statement of the three states. Russia has denied the allegations, terming them as ungrounded. (M.Ignatescu)


  • July 10, 2020 UPDATE

    July 10, 2020 UPDATE

    BILL A bill on quarantine and self-isolation initiated by the government in Bucharest is currently being debated upon in the Senate. The document, which includes a large number of amendments, was endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday. It regulates a number of necessary temporary measures in the field of public safety in situations of high epidemiological and biological hazard with a view to preventing and limiting contagion on the national territory. The government has resorted to the move after the Constitutional Court decided that self-isolation, quarantine and hospitalization cannot be imposed through a ministry order even in the case of infected persons. Judges believe that the aforementioned procedures are infringing upon individual rights and liberties and that restrictive measures must be imposed only under a law clearly regulating these restrictions. On Friday Romania reported 592 new infections, which brings the total number up to 31,400. About 22,800 people have recovered whereas 1,847 died. The number of Romanians infected abroad exceeds 5,100, with a death toll of 122.



    RESTRICTIONS With the number of COVID-19 cases in Romania on the rise, some countries, like Malta, Finland and Norway have banned the access of travellers from Romania, while others introduced quarantine or isolation requirements. The Netherlands firmly recommends Romanian nationals should self-isolate for 14 days upon entry. As of Thursday, Austria also requires that Romanians present a certificate in English or German, confirming a negative SARS-COV-2 test no older than 4 days, otherwise travellers must self-isolate for 14 days. The UK has put together a list of safe countries, which does not include Romania, which means that travelers from Romania must self-isolate for 2 weeks. Hungary also announced it would revise the rules of access from neighbouring countries that report growing numbers of infection. In turn, Greece wants Romanian tourists coming into the country through the Kulata-Promachonas check point, the only one opened at present, to have negative COVID-19 tests issued in the last 72 hours. Tourists must also fill in an online form at least 24 hours prior to entering Greece.



    JUDICIARY Romania is one of the lowest-ranking countries in an EU list based on the perceived independence of judges and courts, according to a poll made public on Friday, together with the 2020 EU Justice Scoreboard. An even more worrying situation is reported for Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Slovakia and Croatia. As many as 45% of the Romanians have a bad opinion on the independence of judges and courts. For UE-28, which includes the UK, the figure is 33%. At the opposite end, only 37% of Romanians have a good opinion on the independence of judges and courts, which is lower than last year, whereas at EU level the rate is 56%. Denmark ranks first on this list, with 86% of its population sharing a positive view on the topic.



    EUROSTAT Nine out of the 27 EU member countries, Romania included, reported population decline last year, while in 18 countries the population increased, according to a report released on Friday by the European Statistics Institute (Eurostat). The highest increase was reported in Malta, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Ireland and Sweden, with the most significat drop rates reported in Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, Croatia and Italy. In Romania, the National Statistics Institute announced on Friday that the negative rate was 1.5 times higher in May 2020 than in May 2019.



    INFLATION In Romania, the year-on-year inflation rate reached 2.6% this June, from 2.3% in May, as the prices of foodstuffs, services and non-foods went up, the National Statistics Institute announced on Friday. The National Bank of Romania lowered its inflation forecast for this year from 3% to 2.8%. Early this week, the Finance Minister Florin Cîţu announced that an inflation rate lower than in previous years means smaller interest rates in the economy, and smaller interest costs mean access to cheaper loans to all Romanians. According to the National Statistics Institute, last year the annual inflation rate was 3.8%, and in 2018 it was 4.6%.



    PANDEMIC The total number of coronavirus cases worldwide is over 12.4 million, with the death toll standing at 558,000. In the USA, the worst hit country in the world, the number of cases passes 3.2 million, and 136,000 people died. News agencies say the record-high COVID-19 figures in most American states reduce the hope for economic recovery. The second worst affected country remains Brazil, with over 1.7 million cases and nearly 70,000 deaths. In Europe, Italy has closed its borders to 13 non-EU countries, including the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia. The restrictions include the travellers who only transit those countries. Only Italian nationals are allowed to re-enter the country coming from those regions, subject to compulsory 2-week self-isolation.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu, Daniel Bilt)

  • New bill on quarantine and isolation during pandemic

    New bill on quarantine and isolation during pandemic

    On Monday, the Romanian Government approved a new bill regarding the initiation of hygienic-sanitary measures to be taken in special situations of high epidemiological or biological risk. The bill mainly regulates the conditions for quarantine and isolation and, as the health minister Nelu Tataru has stated, “was necessary to manage and control the Covid-19 pandemic.”



    For a few days now, Romania has been facing a legislative void with regard to this matter, after the Constitutional Court ruled that the provisions by means of which patients with Covid -19 or people suspected of having Covid-19 were imposed restrictions meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus were unconstitutional. The Court said that the texts of the law on mandatory hospitalization and quarantine during the epidemic were lacking in clarity and predictability, were uncertain and difficult to anticipate and did not offer guarantees of respect for fundamental rights and freedoms.



    The Liberal health minister has explained that the bill is to be urgently submitted to Parliament (dominated by the opposition Social Democratic Party) and has voiced hope that national interest and the health of the Romanian people will leave no room for political bias. He has stated that, in less than 24 hours, 550 people who were in hospital for treatment and isolation, were discharged at their request, as a result of the Constitutional Courts annulling the legislation in the field. The new bill defines several terms, including quarantine, isolation, treatment and discharge from hospital.



    Quarantine is therefore a measure to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and consists in the physical separation of healthy persons, of persons suspected of being infected or carrying a pathogen from other persons, in areas specially designated by authorities, at home or at a place declared by that person. Isolation is the physical separation of sick people in order to allow the monitoring of their health, to provide them with the right treatment and to reduce the level of contagion, usually through hospitalization. Isolation can be secured at home, if the hospital capacity is exceeded.



    State Secretary Raed Arafat has also explained:


    “As regards quarantine for healthy people who arrive in Romania from high risk countries, a decision is made by the National Committee for Emergency Situations, and implementation is made by the Ministry of Health and the subordinated institutions. There is also another possibility, of taking measures by means of orders by the commander of the action, which are subsequently validated by the National Committee. Here we talk about emergency situations which require immediate action.”



    In another move, Bucharest authorities have updated the list of countries for which there is no recommendation for isolation or quarantine. The list includes 44 countries, of which 32 are members of the EU and the EEA. Several European countries have imposed restrictions for the Romanian citizens after the alarming increase in the number of new infections in this country. (M. Ignatescu)


  • Constitutional Court rules on state of alert measures

    Constitutional Court rules on state of alert measures

    Constitutional
    Court judges ruled on Thursday that isolation at home, quarantine and
    hospitalisation cannot be imposed based on ministerial order, even if the
    persons in question are infected with the novel coronavirus. They say these
    measures are restricting individual rights and freedoms and that imposing
    restrictive measures can only be established by a law that clearly regulates them.
    The ruling of the Constitutional Court comes after a complaint by the Ombudsman
    referring to some provisions of a law on healthcare reform from 2006 and the government
    emergency order on measures to prevent and combat the effects of the Covid-19
    pandemic.




    Prime minister Ludovic Orban says the persons
    who find themselves in the situations covered by the Court’s ruling will not,
    however, be able to leave isolation or quarantine or ask the state for
    compensation neither before nor after the Court publishes the justification of
    its ruling in the Official Gazette. Ludovic Orban:




    There
    is currently a law adopted by Parliament, law no. 55, which establishes the
    legitimacy of this measure. I don’t understand why the Constitutional Court
    prefers to look at a ministerial order or an emergency order adopted earlier
    rather than at the legal basis for the state of emergency, the presidential
    decree and the Parliament’s approval of these measures. Where would Romania be
    today if we hadn’t been able to protect people’s health by isolating those who
    had come into contact with people who had tested positive or by isolating or
    quarantining persons arriving from areas with high infection levels?




    The Social
    Democratic Party in opposition says the government must urgently come up with a
    bill to clearly regulate the conditions for quarantine, isolation and hospitalisation.
    The interim Senate speaker and member of the Social Democratic Party Robert
    Cazanciuc says the people who had to suffer may start filing complaints in the courts:




    They
    have kept asymptomatic persons in hospital for weeks, while chronic patients
    were deprived of vital treatment. They imposed quarantine by ministerial order
    although they were well aware that a law was needed for this. It was the
    government’s responsibility from the very beginning. It’s the government’s duty
    to repair this abuse as soon as possible.




    The
    Constitutional Court also ruled in favour of the government, who did not submit
    the extension to the state of alert to Parliament in mid-June. The Court says
    Parliament does not have the right to validate or reject by vote a government
    decision on the declaration of the state of alert because such a move would
    affect the principle of the separation of powers.

  • March 31, 2020

    March 31, 2020

    COVID-19 Romania — In Romania, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection has reached 2,245, of which around 600 cases are from Suceava (northwest). 285 medical staff are among the confirmed cases. 220 infected people have meanwhile recovered. According to the Strategic Communication Group, more than 11.500 people are in quarantine and almost 125 thousand in isolation. 69 people have died from COVID-19 infection.



    Decree — The Romanian interior minister Marcel Vela issued on Monday evening the military decree no.5 which extends the measure of suspending flights between Spain and Romania for 14 days starting on March 31 and also between Italy and Romania, also for 14 days, starting on April 6. The authorities also issued military decree no. 6 which places the entire city of Suceava in quarantine as well as 8 surrounding communes. All access ways to the city are guarded by the army and the police. The decision was made in the context in which more than a quarter of the confirmed cases of coronavirus in Romania were reported in Suceava.



    Unemployment — The Romanian government ordinance regarding technical unemployment is on the agenda of today’s meeting of the Seante which might vote this document in a plenary session which will unfold by means of videoconference. Under the ordinance, 75% of the employees of a company can benefit from the payment of technical unemployment. Funds for the companies that reduce their activity due to the coronavirus pandemic will be granted based on a self declaration. The state will cover for 75% of the gross average salary, but not more than around 475 Euros. The money will be granted for the duration of the state of emergency. Athletes will also benefit from the payment of technical unemployment.



    COVID- 19 world – The latest coronavirus death toll stands at almost 38 thousand while as many as 790 thousand people worldwide have been infected. The US is the most affected country with almost 165 thousand people infected. In Europe, Italy has reported the biggest number of deaths so far, but the number of new infections registered a significant drop on Monday as compared to the previous days. Spain is the 3rd country after the US and Italy that exceeded China in terms of cases of infected people. A big number of cases has also been reported in Germany where the death rate is smaller though than in other countries. France registered on Monday the biggest number of deaths reported in one single day since the start of the outbreak.



    EU budget — The Spanish foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez on Tuesday suggested an increase in the EU budget to help reduce the effects of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Spanish foreign minister said the European Central Bank and the EC announced that they were making efforts in this sense but underlined that they expected more solidarity among the EU member states. In another move the finance ministers of the euro zone will present the financial instruments meant to support the region’s economy at the talks scheduled for April 7, the president of the Euro group Mario Centeno announced. (translation by L. Simion)