Radio România Internațional

Tag: quarantine

  • Military Ordinances No. 5 and 6 of March 30, 2020

    Military Ordinances No. 5 and 6 of March 30, 2020

    Military Ordinance no.5 of March 30, 2020 on measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 extends flight suspensions, among others. For instance, the measure to suspend flights to Spain and from Spain to Romania operated by commercial airlines, is extended by 14 days, as from March 31, 2020 at 18.00 hours. The measure to suspend flights operated by commercial airlines to Italy and from Italy to Romania is also extended for a period of 14 days, as of April 6, 2020.



    Exception to the rule are flights operated by state-owned aircraft, cargo flights, airmail flights, humanitarian flights as well as emergency medical services flights. Non-commercial technical landings are also allowed.

    The new military ordinance also stipulates that people who do not respect quarantine measures will be introduced into a new 14-day quarantine cycle, will bear all costs and will face prosecution. Persons who do not respect the conditions of self-isolation at the indicated place will be forced into quarantine for 14 days will bear all costs and will be fined.

    Military Ordinance no.6 of March 30, 2020 on placing the city of Suceava and some surrounding communes under quarantine and on creating a buffer zone to protect territorial-administrative units in Suceava County is meant to contain the fast-paced spread of the novel coronavirus in the north-eastern part of the country. Thus, the city of Suceava is placed under coronavirus quarantine, as well as the surrounding area made up of the following eight communes: Adâncata, Salcea, Ipotești, Bosanci, Moara, Șcheia, Pătrăuți and Mitocu Dragomirnei.

    Severe travel and movement restrictions are introduced, with th exception of well-defined social categories, such as freight carriers and those in the food supply chain, law enforcers, personnel of the defence and national safety system and healthcare employees.

    A buffer zone is also created during the state of emergency, as a safety measure, around the localities on the red list, and it is made up of all other territorial administrative units in Suceava County.

  • New measures announced by the authorities

    New measures announced by the authorities

    The Romanian authorities have announced new measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, through the Military Ordinance no. 4 issued in the context of the state of emergency decreed by the President of Romania.



    The Interior Minister, Marcel Vela, said the measures included in the Military Ordinance no. 4 are perhaps the toughest measures taken in Romania over the past decades, but they are necessary in the current situation. Vela underlined it is important for the Romanians to show solidarity now, to respect the laws and these measures.



    Marcel Vela, announced that the Military Ordinance no. 4 stipulates that those who violate the state-at home- order will be quarantined and will cover all the expenses. Those who do not respect the quarantine measures and are proven by the law enforcers to have done so will be placed in quarantine for another 14 days from the moment they are found to have violated the rules, and will cover all costs incurred by their placement into quarantine.



    The Interior Minister announced the people over 65 years should further solve their medical problems, for instance to undergo planned oncological treatments or dialysis throughout the day and not only between 11.00 and 13.00, as at present. He also announced that the aforementioned people are allowed to leave their residences between 20.00 and 21.00 hours, too, to meet the needs of their pets. Shop owners and sellers should facilitate the access of people over 65 years of age in their shops, between 11.00 and 13.00.



    Prices for electricity, heating, natural gas, water, sanitation and fuels will be capped, during the state of emergency, once the Military Ordinance no.4 is published in the Official Gazette.


    The ministries and the local authorities that have subordinated healthcare units will provide accommodation and food for the medical staff in hotels, as from March 31, to protect the families of healthcare employees.



    Drivers entering the country, those driving vehicles weighing over 2.4 tons, have three options to protect their families and themselves, either the employer offers them a place to stay between two travels, but no longer than 14 days, or they choose to self-isolate at home, with their families, or in other living places they have, or local authorities provide quarantine facilities upon request, to ensure the protection of these freight carriers families, covering the accommodation expenses in these hotels. Vela also said the same goes for pilots and cabin crews.



    The personnel who is essential for the functioning of the National Energy System will be self-isolating at the workplace or in specially laid out areas, in order to keep the system going.



    Minister Vela also announced that as of Tuesday, March 31, local public administration authorities will place disinfectant dispensers at all blocks of flats in crowded areas and will disinfect the stairways, elevators and other common spaces.

  • Romanian authorities call for responsibility

    Romanian authorities call for responsibility

    Given the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Romania, the authorities have taken a number of additional special measures, targeting both the people who enter Romanian territory from abroad, and the general public.



    First of all, all citizens, Romanians or foreigners, who come from the so-called “red zones (the entire Italy, Hubei region in China, including the city of Wuhan, and the Cheongdo county and Daegu city in South Korea) will be quarantined for 14 days in special facilities. Those who come from the “yellow zones (continental China, the entire Iran, other counties and localities in South Korea, as well as Heisnberg district in North-Rhine Westphalia in Germany) will be asked to self isolate.



    The relevant bodies will ensure compliance with these measures, and failure to comply will lead to fines of up to 4,000 euros. The fine will be applied on each occasion in case of repeat violations. The head of the Department for Emergencies, Raed Arafat, warned that several such punishments have already been put into practice. He also announced that indoor cultural, scientific, artistic, religious, sports and entertainment activities involving more than 100 people have been restricted until March 31st, and the period may be extended.



    University courses have also been suspended until the end of March, and alternatives such as online programmes have been suggested. Public institutions will have to reorganize working hours, so that employees may come to work at 3 different times during the day, to avoid crowding in public transportation and reduce the risk of infection. As Raed Arafat also said, “we voted to recommend private entities, including business operators with more than 99 employees, to rethink working hours for the staff who use public transportation. This recommendation takes effect in Bucharest and county capitals between March 12th and 31st, and the period may be extended. Raed Arafat also explained that under this guideline, companies will have employees coming to work in 3 separate shifts.



    Exports of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment used in treating the coronavirus disease have also been suspended for 6 months. The products barred from exports include antivirals, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, fever reducers, antifungal drugs, anesthetics, sedatives, and medical materials such as gloves, syringes, goggles, protective coveralls, disinfectants and so on.



    Authorities also urged people to comply with the recommendations and to get information from official sources exclusively. Romania is now in scenario number 2, with 26-100 infected patients, and prevention is still the main concern, before major changes in hospitals. If quarantine facilities prove to be insufficient, strictly monitored home quarantine may be introduced.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • EU-wide mobilisation against COVID-19

    EU-wide mobilisation against COVID-19

    The EU leaders took part on Tuesday night in a conference call aimed at looking at possible solutions to the large-scale coronavirus crisis looming ahead.



    After the conference, the European Council president Charles Michel spoke about a number of priorities agreed on by all participants. First comes protecting citizen safety, through measures based on scientific information and medical sources, followed by ensuring the medical equipment and preventing shortages. Other priorities include promoting scientific research, including the development of a vaccine, and response to the economic and social consequences, among other things by making European rules more flexible.



    Taking part in the video call, president Klaus Iohannis called for solidarity and mutual help, in an address broadcast on radio and television:



    Klaus Iohannis: “We must face the facts: the risk of pandemic remains high, and fighting the coronavirus requires coordinated national, European and worldwide efforts. We held a conference call and all EU leaders discussed the developments in their respective countries. Protecting the European citizens is our top priority, and we discussed the measures that have to be taken at present. We all agree that it is absolutely necessary for us to coordinate our efforts to counter the effects of the coronavirus disease. It is only by means of joint measures that help prevent the virus from spreading further, that we will manage to successfully handle this crisis, and it is only together that we will manage to prevent its severe effects on the European economies.



    The European Parliament also discussed the current COVID-19 situation and a coordinated European response. MEPs pleaded for solidarity, for investments in research and for rethinking the European pharmaceutical and medical equipment industries. Masks, testing kits and respiratory equipment should be produced in the EU and made available to all Member States, MEPs said, among other things. The Romanian MEP Nicolae Stefanuta (Renew Europe), said:



    Nicolae Stefanuta: “Today we need joint stocks of medical supplies, we need to mobilise the healthcare personnel in the Union to the most affected areas, but we also need leadership, quick dissemination of trustworthy information. Our response to the current crisis is not to reduce exports, the answer is not ‘sink or swim. This crisis concerns all of us, and only together can we overcome it.



    Although still in the 2-figure zone, the number of COVID-19 cases in Romania is growing. In order to prevent the unwanted scenario of an uncontrolled spreading of the disease, the authorities have closed down public and private kindergartens, schools and high schools until March 22, and the period may be extended. Universities will also stay closed until the end of March. The government has decided to earmark additional funds to the Health Ministry in order to prepare hospitals to receive coronavirus patients and to secure proper care for chronic patients.



    A special issue has to do with the Romanians living abroad, particularly in severely-hit Italy, who are prompted by fear to come back home. According to the interim interior minister Marcel Vela, the Romanian and foreign citizens coming from regions with coronavirus outbreaks and reaching Romanias western border are escorted by police and gendarmes to quarantine facilities.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The novel coronavirus disease, under control

    The novel coronavirus disease, under control

    A number of cases of infection with coronavirus have been confirmed in Romania, tens of people are under institutionalized quarantine and more than 11 thousand are isolated at home, under strict monitoring. This is why Romanian authorities have taken a series of measures aimed at preventing the spread of the disease. Summoned at the Interior Ministry, the National Committee for Emergency Situations on Thursday drawn up several scenarios and improved safety measures.



    Minister Marcel Vela explains: “We empowered the technical-scientific support group dealing with highly contagious diseases to take, under special circumstances, technical decisions without the approval of the National Committee for Emergency Situations. These decisions are to be first sent to all members, who have 8 hours to make amendments, after which they are considered adopted. After this period, at the first meeting of the Committee, these decisions will be adopted, modified or abrogated.



    In his turn, the head of the National Committee for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, has said that the decision to isolate a city is not taken at local level, but at national level, after a thorough analysis of the situation. Such a decision is not currently considered for any Romanian city, not even for Timisoara, where most cases of infection are confirmed. Arafat has said the situation is under control and the origin of the infection for each case is known.



    In this context, President Klaus Iohannis has said that authorities are now focusing on preventing the virus from spreading. He has urged people to be calm and balanced, so that social life should not be affected by fake news. In the context of steps taken at national level to prevent further infections, the Home Affairs and Foreign ministries have informed the diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Bucharest on the situation. The measures taken apply to both Romanian and foreign citizens, who come to Romania from the affected areas. Romanian authorities insist that information on the spread of the virus should be taken exclusively from official sources.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)


  • The new coronavirus impacts tourism

    The new coronavirus impacts tourism

    The coronavirus has paralyzed tourism in many regions of the world. After the violent outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic in northern Italy, the Italian government is expecting massive economic loss, given that tourism in Italy accounts for 13% of the country’s GDP. The famous Venice carnival was ended two days earlier, the Fashion Week in Milan was shortened, the Milan Cathedral, a top attraction of the city, was closed down just like the theater La Scala of Milan. The virus seems to be spreading fast and a case of coronavirus infection in a hotel in the Spanish island of Tenerife led to the quarantining of the entire hotel.



    France has recently become an important coronavirus hotbed in Europe, so the Louvre Museum remained closed on Sunday as the staff invoked their right to stop work in case of danger. Also the Book Fair in Paris, scheduled for the period March 20 to 23, has been cancelled. Travel companies in Germany are also concerned with the coronavirus epidemic as their revenues will be much affected, given that the Chinese tourists generated annual revenues worth 8 billion Euros.



    In Romania, many citizens are giving up their scheduled holidays abroad for fear of getting infected or being affected by quarantine measures taken to stop the spreading of the virus. The authorities have announced that the people who bought holiday packages to the areas worst affected by the new coronavirus, namely northern Italy, China — Wuhan, Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, can recuperate their money entirely but will not receive damages.



    Following the emergence of coronavirus infections in Romania as well, some citizens have given up traveling in the country at all. In Tulcea county, southeastern Romania, home to the Danube Delta nature reserve, which is included on the UNESCO world heritage list, several travel companies reported no reservations, and others had to cancel the reservations for road transportation to that area.



    Cătălin Ţîbuleac, the president of the Danube Delta Association, has more: “The Romanian tourism industry has been facing difficulties for some time now, mainly due to the lack of human resources. Now, the new coronavirus epidemic has dealt a further blow to Romanian tourism, be it in Tulcea, Constanta or other destinations, therefore the government and the tourism industry representatives need to work out solutions to support the industry in such difficult moments.”



    In a contribution to the publication Profit.ro entitled “The coronavirus and the tourism industry” Dragos Anastasiu, an entrepreneur and currently the president of the Romanian – German Chamber of Commerce writes that people should keep their calm, reason and optimism, be normal but cautious and not belittle the impact of the coronavirus epidemic. (translation by L. Simion)

  • February 29, 2020 UPDATE

    February 29, 2020 UPDATE

    COVID19 Romania has 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, with the patients current state reported as good. Another 52 people are quarantined across the country, and 8,796 are under home monitoring. The healthcare authorities in the counties Timiş in the west and Maramureş in the north-west are running investigations to establish the people who were in contact with the 2 persons who tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. Both of them had travelled to Italy recently. The first patient in Romania, a 25 year old man from Gorj County, in the south, is feeling well, and Fridays tests came out negative, doctors say. If the next test is also negative, the patient will be discharged. In Europe, Italy remains the most affected country. As the epidemic spread, stock exchanges across the world reported total losses of over 5 trillion US dollars. The BBC says the US financial markets have not been hit so hard since the 2008 financial crisis. Investors fear that the growing number of coronavirus cases outside China may turn the disease into a pandemic.



    AFGHANISTAN Romania welcomes Saturdays agreement signed by the USA and the Taliban for the normalisation of the situation in Afghanistan, as well as the joint declaration between Washington and Kabul for bringing peace to Afghanistan, the Romanian foreign ministry announced. Romania voices confidence that full implementation of these agreements will lead to stability in Afghanistan. According to the foreign ministry, Bucharest will continue to support the efforts to ensure peace and security in Afghanistan, coordinating with its NATO allies. The US and the Taliban Saturday signed in Doha, Qatar, a historic agreement that paves the way for the withdrawal of all American troops from Afghanistan in the next 14 months and for inter-Afghan peace negotiations after 18 years of war.



    EUROVISION Buzau, in the south-east of the country, is hosting on Sunday the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. The public and a specialised jury will choose the song to be performed in the 2020 Rotterdam international competition by Romanias representative, Roxen. Several pieces have been written for her, and the best 5 of them are in the national final. Roxen gained popularity last summer with her song You Dont Love Me, aired in France, Mexico, the USA, Russia, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, Turkey, Kazakhstan and Estonia. Roxen will compete in the Eurovision first semi-final on May 12, with the final scheduled for May 16.



    MIGRANTS Greece prevented 4,000 migrants to enter its territory “illegally from Turkey, a spokesman for the Greek government announced on Saturday after an emergency meeting chaired by PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, AFP and Reuters report. On Friday, the country faced a mass, organised and illegal border crossing attempt, but it managed to overcome it, the government spokesperson explained. He added that Greece protected its borders and the borders of the EU. Also on Saturday, in an address in Istanbul, Turkeys president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country will open its borders to enable migrants to leave, and criticised the EU for not helping Ankara enough. Turkey says it was forced to ease border controls for the refugees trying to reach the EU from Turkey, because of the pressure of the refugees coming from Syria amid clashes in the rebel stronghold of Idlib.



    RUSSIA Thousands of Russian opposition supporters gathered in Moscow on Saturday to protest the constitutional reforms initiated by president Vladimir Putin and to pay tribute to opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, murdered 5 years ago near Kremlin, AFP reports. In Sankt-Petersburg, nearly 2,000 people rallied in the centre of the city. The authorised march is the first important public gathering since Putin announced a Constitution review set to strengthen the role of the president and of the State Council. The killing of Boris Nemtsov in February 2015 had huge echoes in Russia and abroad. Nemtsov was in the middle of an investigation into the involvement of the Russian Army in the east Ukraine war.



    HANDBALL Romanias womens handball champions, CSM Ramnicu Valcea, Saturday defeated the Swedish side Savehof, 28-20 at home, in the Champions League Main Group 2. In Main Group 1 in the same competition, vice-champions CSM Bucharest play away from home on Sunday against the French team Metz. The Romanian teams are ranking 4th in their respective groups and CSM is the only one having secured a place in the quarter-finals. In mens handball, champions Dinamo Bucharest take on Sporting Lisbon, on Sunday night, after a 26-25 win away from home. If they go past the Portuguese team, Dinamo move into the Champions League round of 16.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Mobilisation against the coronavirus

    Mobilisation against the coronavirus

    Romanian authorities urge citizens not to panic as the new coronavirus is spreading in Europe, particularly in Italy, and recommend that people only resort to official sources for information. An emergency committee has been called to put together an action plan for the management of what the experts now call the COVID-19 infection. The authorities passed a resolution laying down measures to improve the response to and prevention of the infection. The interim interior minister Marcel Vela presented these measures:



    Marcel Vela: “Quarantine is in place for the citizens who travel from Italy to Romania, as well as home isolation for those who live in risk areas in Italy. The government will issue a resolution to earmark the funds for the quarantine measures, for salaries and for the production of information materials. The Healthcare Ministry and Defence Ministry will appoint experts for a task force in charge with outlining possible scenarios, depending on how the epidemic develops. A call service will also be in place for the people who need information regarding the COVID-19 infection.



    A communication group will also provide official information to the mass media and citizens. Marcel Vela also announced that the airport forms to be filled in by passengers coming from high-risk areas will also include a Criminal Code article regarding the penalties for false statements. The measure is introduced after 2 Romanians failed to stay in home isolation for 14 days after returning from China, and are now facing prison or a fine.



    At present around 1,000 people in Romania are under home isolation measures, and several dozen are in quarantine. Quarantine centres have been designated in several parts of the country, for those suspected of being infected. According to the acting healthcare minister Victor Costache, Romania has around 120 quarantine centres for around 4,000 suspected patients.



    In turn, PM designate Ludovic Orban called on Romanians to avoid trips to high-risk areas in Italy, except for cases of absolute necessity. Orban urged the nearly 1.2 million Romanian ethnics living in Italy to comply with all the decisions and recommendations made by the Italian authorities. Meanwhile, President Klaus Iohannis announced a meeting of the Supreme Defence Council on Wednesday, and called for responsibility on the part of politicians and mass media in handling this crisis.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • February 24, 2020

    February 24, 2020

    Vote – The Romanian PM designate Ludovic Orban is going today in the plenum of Parliament to obtain the investiture vote for his cabinet, which has the same structure and membership as the previous government. The 16 ministers of the second Orban government, the same from the first Orban government that was dismissed through a no confidence motion, were interviewed by Parliament’s special committees in Bucharest. The Liberals’ plan is to get the rejection of two consecutive governments in order for the Parliament to be dissolved and early elections to be called. Early elections might take place, according to Ludovic Orban, between June 15-30, at the same time with the local elections. The main opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, announced they would not take part in the investiture vote. If they don’t have a quorum, the investiture vote for the second Orban government might be postponed. Also today the Constitutional Court is debating the notification submitted by the speakers of Parliament’s two chambers, who claim that the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis violated Parliament’s will when designating the outgoing PM Ludovic Orban as the new PM.



    Coronavirus — All the people coming to Romania from northern Italy, a region affected by the new coronovirus, will be quarantined for 14 days. The decision was made by the Health Ministry and applies to all those who traveled to the regions of Veneto and Lombardy in the past two weeks. The passengers arriving at the Henri Coanda airport in Bucharest from Milan, Bergamo, Treviso and Turin will enter the country on the route destined for charter flights. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, given the emergence of new cases of coronavirus infection in Italy and the numerous community of Romanian citizens from the affected regions, an emergency cell was set up at the Romanian Embassy in Rome, which is in permanent contact with the Italian authorities. We recall that two Romanian citizens infected with the coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, docked at the Yokohama port in Japan, have been hospitalized in Japan.



    Emergency — With 5 deaths and more than 200 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, Italy is the European country most affected by the new virus. The Romanian Foreign Ministry informs the Romanian citizens who are in Italy, are transiting that country or intend to travel there that the Italian government has decreed a state of emergency given the risk posed to health by the emergence of new cases of infection especially in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto. 11 cities from these regions have been quarantined. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent to Rome, nobody is going to work, to school or university, and citizens can shop in food stores only if this is strictly necessary. A cordon sanitaire will be set up today by the army. In Milan, the second most important city of Italy after Rome, the local authorities decided to close down all theatres, museums, movie theaters, discotheques as well as the famous Milan Cathedral. In Venice the carnival closed two days earlier. France, Switzerland and Austria, Italy’s neighbors, announced they were closely monitoring the situation in the peninsula.



    Weather — The mountainous areas from 14 counties of Romania are under a code red alert for strong winds until Monday evening, with speeds expected to reach 140-180 kms per hour and to cause snow storms. Also, more than half of Romania’s territory is under a code orange alert for strong winds until Monday evening, wind speed being expected to reach 90-100 kms per hour. According to meteorologists another 22 counties in the south, the capital Bucharest included, in the center and northwest are under a code yellow alert for gusts with speeds expected to reach 55-70 kms per hour. Temperatures are higher than normal for this period of the year with highs ranging from 7 up to 18 degrees C. The noon reading in Bucharest was 18 degrees C.



    Brussels — The European Commission on Monday approved, in accordance with the EU norms on state aid, Romania’s plan to grant a temporary loan worth around 36.7 million Euros to the TAROM state-owned airline, shows a press release of the EC. According to the EC, this measure will ensure the continuity of air transport services, especially on the many routes on which TAROM is the only service provider. Therefore passengers will not be affected by air traffic disturbances and competition on the single market will not be distorted in an unjustified manner. (translation by L. Simion)

  • Epidemic and vaccination

    Epidemic and vaccination

    It is the season of virus infections and flu, and the number of cases of airborne transmissible diseases is increasing by the day. That is why, several hospitals in Romania have decided to restrict the visiting hours schedule. That is the case of the Regional Oncology Institute in the Northeastern city of Iasi, which is in quarantine, after a patient suffering from leukemia died of flu. Flu has also been confirmed with other patients suffering from cancer, some of them in a very serious condition. The patients are very likely to have been infected by a visitor. That is why, the manager of the Institute, Gabriel Dimofte said that the visitors’ access was forbidden and that they are running tests on the patients to stop the spread of the virus.



    Gabriel Dimofte: “People are no longer allowed to enter the hospital as visitors because the risk is very high. With a large number of visitors, the hospital risks being very crowded. Several patients are undertaking rapid tests and we are going to have the results in the next few days. There are six patients suffering from flu in the intensive care unit; one or two are already feeling better and will hopefully come out of the unit in a day or two. There are still another five patients under control in the hematology unit.”



    People can catch a mere cold any time of the year, but flu is more frequently reported from October through February since the weather conditions and the sudden changes of temperature trigger a lower immunity. Since 10 people have died of flu in Romania so far and the number of such cases is still very high, doctors further advise people to get vaccinated. They also recommend that people should strictly observe hygiene measures, eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and avoid self-medication.



    Special attention is being paid to the categories of people at risk, that is patients with chronic diseases, pregnant women, elderly and children. People in the western city of Timisoara who are ill and need to be admitted to hospital might go through a nightmare situation, given that last weekend media footage gave glimpses of wards in the Hospital of Infectious Diseases with badly peeling walls, rusty furniture and sheets instead of curtains across the windows.



    Consequently, the hospital has been fined for existing unhealthy conditions, inadequate lavatory facilities and faulty waste management. What’s really tragic is that fines will not solve the problem and it is equally tragic that there are many such hospitals across Romania. People can die prematurely in Romania because of the under-funding that has affected the healthcare system for years on end, because of the local officials’ glaring indolence in making investments in the healthcare infrastructure, and because of a faulty management and an acute shortage of medical staff. For instance, the authorities are facing big difficulties in solving the long crisis caused by the shortage of immunoglobulin after certain producers have withdrawn from the market.