Radio România Internațional

Tag: Rafila

  • Epidemiological alert in Romania

    Epidemiological alert in Romania

    For the third consecutive week, the incidence of respiratory infections reported in Romania exceeded the average level calculated for the last seasons, and the authorities decided to release an epidemiological alert. The National Public Health Institute reported over 130 thousand cases of respiratory infections, in just one week, and more than 9 thousand cases of clinical flu. The number of diagnosed respiratory infection cases refers to the week of January 22 – 28, and the finding is that, compared to the same period of last winter, the number of patients is 35 percent higher. The increase compared to the previous week is 8 percent. As for the flu cases, the number of patients increased, weekly, by almost 2 thousand and is much higher compared to the same period of last year.



    However, the situation is better in terms of severe acute respiratory infections, which are now fewer as compared to the previous week and also as compared to last year. The number of deaths caused by the influenza virus has reached 50, the Public Health Institute informed. The health minister, Alexandru Rafila, does not rule out a scenario according to which the cases of illness might reach the maximum level recorded last year. He said that Romania would not face an epidemic because, as their observations show, the maintenance of this upward trend is limited and until the end of February the number of cases ​​will probably be lower, said the health minister. He pointed out that the epidemiological alerts do not imply restrictions, but only prepare the medical system for a worse situation.



    Alexandru Rafila: This is the third consecutive week of growth above the average level recorded in the last 5 years. It is called epidemic week. Weve had two such weeks so far. This is the third one. There is absolutely nothing different from last year’s situation, no restrictions are being imposed; it is related to preparing the health system for a greater number of respiratory infections so that we can provide all the necessary resources to the health units.



    Apart from the measures recommended in medical units, there are recommendations for schools. Those in charge of educational institutions must provide the necessary sanitary materials and inform parents about the symptoms and the importance of keeping children at home if they have signs of respiratory infections. For the population, in general, the already known recommendations remain valid: avoiding crowds, observing hygiene rules, isolation at home in case of illness, use of protective masks, if necessary, and, last but not least, flu vaccination especially in the case of vulnerable categories. (LS)

  • The government has unlocked vacancy-filling contests in the healthcare syst

    The government has unlocked vacancy-filling contests in the healthcare syst

    Employment in the medical system was unlocked by the Romanian Government, following several requests in this sense. One of the requests came from the College of Physicians in Bucharest, which called on the Finance Ministry to approve the memorandum submitted by the Health Ministry for the hospitals under its authority, as well as the one submitted by the Development Ministry for the units subordinated to the local authorities. The College, which pointed out that difficult situations are encountered during this period, especially in the Emergency Rooms, due to the insufficient number of doctors, recalled that employment in the public system, including in the public healthcare system, was frozen in the middle of last year. The college drew attention that the lack of staff in hospitals means the exhaustion of the existing one, who have to often work overtime, which can lead, in addition to physical fatigue, to diminishing the quality of the medical services provided to patients or to delays in providing medical assistance.



    Thus, in the context of intense pressure from the healthcare system, the government decided to organize contests to fill more than 7,600 vacancies in medical units with staff shortages. 2,500 of the posts are for doctors. The healthcare units that requested the organization of vacancy-filling contests need to immediately start the necessary procedures. The social-democratic Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu underlined that the budget of the Health Ministry is 40% higher than last year, highlighting that each vacancy filled must be reflected in better services for patients. He stated that 6.6 billion lei (about 1.3 billion euros) have already been allocated, which paid off last year’s debts from the healthcare system and ensured the current expenses for this month for medicines and medical services.



    In turn, the Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, pointed out that all doctors posts that were requested by health units were approved, regardless of whether they are subordinated to the Health Ministry or the local authorities. Moreover, within the Memorandum proposed by the Health Ministry, over 365 posts of those approved for vacancy-filling contests are within the ambulance services, given the importance of emergency medicine and the interventions that must be carried out during this period to various calls. Alexandru Rafila asked the healthcare units not to wait too long and to immediately initiate the legal procedures for organizing vacancy-filling contests. He added that, after publication, the contests can be organized within 30 days. The Hleath Minister also said that, at the level of the Government, the discussions will continue and, depending on the needs, other memoranda of approval may be initiated during this year. (LS)

  • September 18, 2023

    September 18, 2023

    VISIT Over
    September 18 and 22, President Klaus Iohannis will be heading Romania’s
    delegation to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly due in New
    York, the USA. ‘Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity: Accelerating
    action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace,
    prosperity, progress and sustainability for all is the main theme of the
    session. On Wednesday, Iohannis is expected to present Bucharest’s assessments
    of the topical issues at the global level and will underline the top priorities
    of Romania’s foreign policy and the country’s contributions to the objectives
    on UN agenda. During his interventions and the interactions with his
    counterparts from the other UN member countries, Iohannis is expected to
    reiterate Romania’s staunch support for the effective multilateralism, the
    observance of the international law and order based on rules, with the UN in a
    central position. He will be presenting Romania’s assessment regarding the
    multiple crises currently confronting the international community. The Romanian
    president is also expected to attend the summit on sustainable development and
    the debates staged by the University of Columbia in New York under the title ‘World
    Leaders Forum’ on Romania’s Prospects over the War in Ukraine and its impact
    over security at the Black Sea.




    MOTION MPs in
    Bucharest are today holding debates over the simple motion initiated by the USR
    and the Force of Right from the centre-to-right opposition against the
    Social-Democratic Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila. This has been the first
    move of this kind in the present Parliament season. The initiators are blaming
    Rafila for the way he managed the health reforms and investment stipulated in
    the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience. According to them the minister is
    responsible, among other things, for delaying the norms of applying the
    National Plan of Combating Cancer. Rafila has rejected the allegations and has
    deemed the opposition’s move as demagogical. The motion will be voted upon on
    Wednesday.




    COURT Russia and
    Ukraine will today appear before the International Court of Justice in a file
    initiated by Ukraine upon the Russian invasion of that country last year. Kyiv
    is accusing Moscow of having distorted the genocide accusations in order to justify
    the military aggression. Russia had initially pretended that its action in
    Ukraine was justified as it was meant to prevent a genocide. During the initial
    hearing last year, Kyiv said that the danger of genocide in eastern Ukraine did
    not exist and the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime
    of Genocide signed by the two countries does not allow for an invasion to
    prevent it. Although the Court’s ruling are compulsory, the institution does
    not have the direct means to implement them.




    (bill)

  • April 7, 2023 UPDATE

    April 7, 2023 UPDATE

    PROTESTS Farmers from 18 Romanian counties took to the streets on Friday,
    dissatisfied with the compensation proposed by the European Commission for the
    damage caused by the tax-free import of cheap cereals from Ukraine. Farmers
    demand that the European Union abandon the special regime applied to imports
    from Ukraine, which – in their opinion – seriously disrupts the Romanian
    market. Romania’s agriculture minister Petre Daea has pledged compensations for
    the affected farmers as soon as possible. The Romanian official also met some
    of the farmers who protested in Bucharest. Poland has temporarily ceased its
    imports of Ukrainian grains in order to offset their impact upon the local prices
    but the transit will continue. The announcement was made on Friday by the new
    Polish Agriculture Minister, Robert Telus, who took over after his predecessor had
    stepped down amid the farmers’ protests sparked off by the plummeting prices in
    cereals. Farmers have also staged protests in Romania’s neighbour country, Bulgaria.








    BUDGET The Romanian government is looking for solutions to cover a hole
    in the budget of 20 billion lei, so that the deficit does not exceed the target
    of 4.4% of the GDP. The leaders of the ruling coalition claim that there are
    unjustified expenses in many ministries and state institutions, and the
    Ministry of Finance must reduce the waste of public funds. Liberal Prime Minister
    Nicolae Ciucă has stressed that salaries or other types of income will not be
    cut, but he asked the Minister of Finance, Adrian Câciu, to propose concrete
    measures to reduce expenses in the next nine months. The Social Democrat leader
    Marcel Ciolacu also spoke about a reform in spending public money, in parallel
    with measures to reduce tax evasion. In his opinion, the system of increments
    should be eliminated, and the bonuses already earned introduced into the
    salary. Adrian Câciu said that the adjustment of budget expenses will not
    affect the social and economic packages developed by the coalition, nor the
    investments. National Bank specialists consider, on the other hand, that
    against the background of the high values ​​of the current account deficit and
    the budget deficit, the money from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan
    represents an extraordinary opportunity for the economy.








    HEALTH Romania’s Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, says that the
    medical system in this country needs sufficient, well-trained staff who can
    respond professionally and empathetically to the needs of patients. At the same
    time, in his message on the occasion of the World Health Day, on April 7, the
    minister said that investments are needed in health – in hospitals, in
    specialist clinics or in family doctors’ offices. This year, the motto of the
    World Health Day is Health for all! In another move, the Minister
    of Health said the number of respiratory illnesses and SARS-COV-2 infections
    has started to decrease, and Romania has sufficient stocks of medicines for the
    necessary treatments. According to Alexandru Rafila, there were 6,900 cases of
    COVID last week, the positivity rate being 10% lower than the previous week.
    However, the number of deaths is still quite high, 59.




    (bill&MI)

  • Respiratory diseases on a downward trend in Romania

    Respiratory diseases on a downward trend in Romania

    After two atypical flu seasons,
    due to restrictions imposed during the pandemic, Romania has this year seen an
    aggressive flu season when a few severe respiratory diseases have been reported
    mainly among children and vulnerable people.


    The peak of the flu
    season was reached in the first part of this month and according to the
    National Institute of Public Health (INSP) the number of respiratory diseases
    is presently on a downward trend. 103 thousand infections were reported last
    week, which means only a quarter than in the previous one.


    As compared to the
    weekly average of illnesses registered between 2015 – 2020, the number is still
    high, 21% higher. According to the INSP, out of the total number of infections,
    roughly five thousand were flu cases, most of them in Bucharest, Iasi, in
    eastern Romania, Cluj, in the north-west and Timis in the west of the country.


    Statistics data show
    that since the beginning of the season, 36 people have lost their lives and
    roughly 1.5 million have got the anti-flu vaccine. Doctors say though the number
    is not enough and in order to be able to control an epidemic, 3.5 million
    vulnerable people should have got the jab. In order to support the population,
    authorities pledge that next year they will subsidize both the anti-flu vaccines
    and those lasting a lifetime mainly for people suffering from chronic diseases.






    During a conference in
    Bucharest, Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, has voiced hope that he will see
    a different approach in terms of anti-flu vaccination next year, which may lead
    to the protection of a larger number of people. Until then, he says, the
    anti-flu vaccines, the Health Ministry purchased for this season, have been
    almost entirely used


    Alexandru Rafila: Pharmacies still
    have stocks of anti-flu vaccines. Of course this very much depends on the
    producers and suppliers. We have practically used up the entire quantity
    purchased by the Health Ministry. There are still small stocks at some family
    physicians but, practically the almost 1.5 million doses have been used.
    Vaccines are still available but not for a long time, you know, two or three
    more weeks. We will probably see a downward trend and get over this flu season,
    which, as compared to the previous years, kicked off much earlier this year.


    In turn, the president
    of the Health Commission with the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, Nelu
    Tătaru, believes vaccine subsidies aren’t enough and the population must accept
    the prevention method.


    Nelu Tătaru: When it comes to
    vaccination I believe that subsidizing it is only a component. To convince
    people to accept the vaccination is the most important thing and I believe here
    the Ministry of Health and the physicians have a pretty difficult task: to
    kickstart the process of convincing the people about the role vaccination has.


    At the same time, authorities
    believe that more emphasis should be laid on the development of pre-hospital
    medical care as people’s access to medical services should be eased.


    (bill)

  • Romania is facing a shortage of medicines

    Romania is facing a shortage of medicines

    The
    number of people diagnosed with respiratory infections is on the rise in
    Romania just like in most of the European countries in this cold season. A
    higher number of people than usual have requested assistance from family
    physicians and hospitals around the country. Doctors have lately reported cases
    of double infection with both Covid and flu viruses, as well as patients
    infected with the new strain known as Kraken.




    Experts
    believe the new flu wave is going to reach its peak in the following weeks and
    will begin to diminish in the second half of February. They have again urged
    people to refrain from getting random treatment and call for professional assistance
    instead, as the growing number of infection has recently caused a shortage of some
    medicines.




    Pharmacies
    across the country have reported a shortage of drugs used in pediatric
    treatment such as those based on ibuprofen, paracetamol or even some antibiotics.
    According to Health Minister Alexandru Rafila,
    parents have complained about the absence on the market of several types of anti-fever
    syrups used in the treatment of children. On the other hand, patients have complained
    about the higher prices in the replacements of these products.




    Minister
    Rafila has again given assurances that Romania isn’t facing a crisis of inflammatory
    drugs as there are factories producing these types of medicine here and
    explained the shortage was caused by the delayed supplies of raw materials from
    China.


    Late
    last year the ministry proposed a temporary suspension in the exports of
    anti-fever drugs and antibiotics. In turn, producers have complained that prices
    in some medicines do not cover the production costs adding that their small prices
    and latest price hikes in electricity will lead to the disappearance of several
    types of drugs.




    The
    situation is even more complicated when it comes to the treatment of cancer. According
    to the president of the Federal Association of Cancer Patients, Cezar Irimia, 7
    oncology drugs have been missing since last year.




    Cezar Irimia: These drugs have been missing since last
    year. And we have reported the issue to the ministry and they pledged a
    solution to the situation. We have even produced evidence these drugs are being
    exported, but to no avail. Our call-center has signaled the absence of 7
    oncology drugs since the beginning of the year.




    However, the ministry
    says only three medicines are missing out of which, two are present in storage
    facilities. Here is Health Minister Alexandru Rafila




    Alexandru Rafila: We have checked and found out that of these three
    medicines, two are in storage in large quantities now. Of course, as a ministry,
    we cannot replace hospital managers who haven’t ordered these medicines. There
    is only a single issue with this one product, an older oncology drug. This is
    the only problem that we are having now with this drug.




    Alexandru
    Rafila says that he is waiting for a solution in the case of the aforementioned
    drug from a specialized committee with the Health Ministry.


    (bill)

  • Lipsă de medicamente în România

    Lipsă de medicamente în România

    Numărul
    persoanelor diagnosticate cu infecţii respiratorii creşte în România de
    la o săptămână la alta, cum se întâmplă în această perioadă în majoritatea
    țărilor europene. Un număr de pacienți
    mult mai mare decât în mod obișnuit ajung la medicii de familie şi la camerele
    de gardă ale spitalelor din întreaga ţară.

    Recent, medicii au semnalat şi
    cazuri de infectare simultană cu coronavirus şi virus gripal, precum și oameni
    infectați cu noua tulpină de coronavirus denumită Kraken.

    Specialiştii
    estimează că vârful valului gripal va fi atins în săptămânile următoare şi că o
    scădere a numărului de îmbolnăviri va fi abia în a doua jumătate a lunii
    viitoare. Ei reiau apelurile către
    populaţie să nu ia medicamente la întâmplare şi să solicite sfatul medicilor,
    în condițiile în care îmbolnăvirile în număr foarte mare amplifică criza
    determinată de lipsa unor medicamente din farmacii. Vorbim în special de cele
    pediatrice, pe bază de paracetamol, ibuprofen sau chiar de unele antibiotice.

    Ministrul Sănătății, Alexandru Rafila, subliniază că pe piaţă sunt siropuri
    antitermice cu aceste substanţe şi că problema apare în momentul în care
    părinţii caută unele medicamente consacrate. La rândul lor, pacienții reclamă
    prețurile mari ale înlocuitorilor. Alexandru Rafila dă, din nou, asigurări că în
    România nu este criză de medicamente antiinflamatoare şi antitermice, pentru că
    avem fabrici proprii care produc substanţa de bază din astfel de produse, dar a
    adăugat că lipsa parţială de pe piaţă a unor medicamente a fost cauzată de
    întârzierile în livrarea materiei prime din China.

    Mai trebuie amintit că ministerul a propus, la finalul anului trecut, suspendarea
    temporară a distribuţiei în afara teritoriului României a unor medicamente
    antibiotice şi antitermice. La rândul lor, producătorii spun că prețurile unor
    medicamente nu acoperă costurile de producție, iar costul mic al pastilelor,
    dar și majorarea prețurilor la energie și utilități vor duce la dispariția mai
    multor medicamente.

    Situația este mult mai complicată în cazul medicamentelor
    pentru tratarea bolnavilor de cancer. Preşedintele Federaţiei Asociaţiilor
    bolnavilor de cancer, Cezar Irimia, a declarat că pacienţii au reclamat încă de
    la începutul anului că nu se găsesc şapte medicamente oncologice.

    Cezar Irimia: Lipsesc încă de anul trecut. Am sesizat acest lucru ministerului.
    Ni s-a promis că problema se va rezolva. I-am adus chiar dovezi că aceste
    medicamente pleacă la exportul paralel şi tot nu s-a făcut nimic în acest sens,
    iar de la începutul anului avem în call center-ul nostru şapte medicamente
    reclamate de pacienţi că nu se găsesc.

    Ministrul sănătăţii susține că
    lipsesc doar trei medicamente din care două sunt în depozite.

    Alexandru Rafila: Din cele trei medicamente, am verificat, două există în depozite
    în cantităţi mari. Sigur, nu putem noi, ca şi Minister al Sănătăţii, să
    înlocuim managerii spitalelor care nu au comandat aceste medicamente. Există o
    singură problemă la un produs, un produs mai vechi din punct de vedere al
    utilizării în terapia oncologică, la care avem o problemă    . În
    acest caz, Alexandru Rafila a spus că aşteaptă de la comisia de specialitate
    din Ministerul Sănătăţii o soluţie pentru medicamentul care nu se găseşte de
    mult timp.


  • January 5, 2023 UPDATE

    January 5, 2023 UPDATE

    FLU
    The Bucharest-based National Centre for the Supervision and Control of
    Transmissible Diseases with the National Institute of Public Health on Thursday
    announced two deaths caused by the flu in Romania. The country’s Health
    Minister Alexandru Rafila had earlier presented during a news conference the
    situation of diagnosed infections at national level but the authorities decided
    not to announce an epidemic because the situation isn’t dramatic yet in spite
    of the growing number of cases. According to Rafila the flu season has expanded
    a few more weeks and the infection rate is presently at 37% with a peak
    expected around January 15th and 10th. The number of
    infections will go down after that date and the Education Ministry says that
    students will go back to classes after the winter holiday on Monday according
    to the schedule. Face-covering is recommended not imposed but the infected
    students will not be allowed to attend classes.








    FUNDS Romania absorbed 11.3 billion EUR last
    year, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă has announced, saying this is the highest
    level of absorption since Romania accessed European funding. In 2023, Romania
    wants to maintain or exceed the current level, which will require solidarity,
    dialogue with social partners, coordination between ministries and political
    stability.








    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Irina Begu on Thursday qualified for the
    quarterfinals of the Adelaide International 1, an Australian tennis tournament
    with more than 826 thousand US dollars in prize money. The Romanian secured a
    6-3, 6-0 win against Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia. Begu, 32, will be up against
    Veronika Kudermetova of Russia. Also on Thursday Romanian Sorana Cirstea
    conceded defeat to the competition’s odds-on favourite, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.








    MOLDOVA Moldova’s relation with Romania has nothing to do with our
    country’s relations with Russia, good or bad, but rely on our way of moving
    forward and on our appreciation for the values that bind us, Moldova’s
    ambassador in Bucharest, Victor Chirilă, has said. Romania is a country
    that will help the Republic of Moldova in any situation, no conditions
    attached, the Moldovan diplomat also told a radio show. At the same time,
    relations with Bucharest are on an upward trend. We’ve seen just how
    important Romania is for Moldova, not just last year, but also during the
    pandemic. Romania stood with us and provided us with assistance to cope with
    the pandemic, ambassador Chirilă went on to say. The Moldovan diplomat
    also recalled Romania’s support in the first months of 2022, when the Republic
    of Moldova faced an energy crisis. In turn, Romania’s ambassador in Chișinău,
    Cristian-Leon Țurcanu, said that the two countries share a special relation
    based on the unity of language, history and culture. The Romanian
    diplomat in turn mentioned the initiative of the Foreign Ministers of Romania,
    Germany and France to launch the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova,
    a multidimensional instrument of support allowing the international community
    to help Moldova. Ambassador Țurcanu promised Bucharest would continue to
    actively get involved at European and international levels to muster a robust
    financial, technical and political assistance for the Republic of Moldova.








    FUNERAL Over 100 thousand Christians on
    Thursday attended the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict 16th at the Vatican.
    Benedict passed away on December 31, 2022, nearly 10 years after stepping down
    from the Holy See. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Rome, Italian
    president Sergio Mattarella and Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier,
    as well as representatives of royal houses, ministers and international
    officials attended the event. Representatives of other Christian churches,
    including the Moscow Patriarchate, as well as leaders of other religions
    attended the funeral. The Romanian Orthodox Church was represented by the
    Romanian Bishop of Italy, Siluan. Pope Francis presided the mass, while
    cardinal Giovanni Battista Re was the main celebrant at the altar. The funeral
    sermon was delivered by Pope Francis.


    (bill & VP)

  • La Roumanie, en pleine saison des viroses

    La Roumanie, en pleine saison des viroses

    Environ cent mille nouvelles infections chaque semaine, des hôpitaux pédiatriques pleins et des pharmacies où manquent les médicaments essentiels, voici le tableau de cette saison grippale en Roumanie. Le premier hiver post Covid sans restriction entraîne, comme prévu par les médecins à l’automne déjà, un pic d’infections respiratoires avec complication, surtout chez les enfants. Le nombre d’enfants présentant des symptômes a augmenté de manière alarmante au cours des dernières semaines et les patients passent des heures entières dans les salles d’attente des hôpitaux ou chez le médecin de famille afin d’obtenir une consultation.

    En même temps, selon les médecins, le nombre d’enfants qui doit être hospitalisé en raison de complications respiratoires est en augmentation. C’est dans ce contexte que le ministère de la Santé a annoncé l’ouverture de 59 centres d’évaluation pour les enfants atteints de virus respiratoires à travers le pays. Ces centres doivent faciliter l’accès à une prise en charge médicale mais aussi désengorger les urgences. De leur côté, les pharmaciens ont annoncé être en rupture de stocks de médicaments anti-inflammatoires et anti-fièvre pour les enfants.

    Cette situation est confirmée par l’Organisation patronale des industriels du médicament de Roumanie selon laquelle la demande de produits pédiatriques contenant de l’ibuprofène et du paracétamol a augmenté de 50% par rapport à l’année dernière. L’Organisation patronale des industriels du médicament rappelle qu’il existe des alternatives dans les pharmacies aux marques les plus connues et précise que la situation va rentrer dans l’ordre au début de l’année prochaine avec la livraison mensuelle d’environ deux cents mille flacons produits en Roumanie ou à l’étranger.

    Le ministre de la Santé, Alexandru Rafila, a déclaré que cette situation se retrouvait dans d’autres pays également et qu’elle était surtout due à une augmentation de la consommation. Le ministre a souligné que les pénuries touchent spécialement les médicaments connus et rappelle qu’il existe des génériques. Il va plus loin et affirme que certains de ces médicaments ont disparus à cause du manque de réalisme de leur prix de vente. Dans ce contexte, Alexandru Rafila a annoncé que le ministère réfléchissait à une nouvelle méthodologie visant à fixer les prix et examinait la possibilité de restreindre temporairement l’exportation des médicaments en tension. Alexandru Rafila a précisé: Dans la période qui vient, nous allons établir, en lien avec la Caisse nationale d’assurance de Santé, une nouvelle méthodologie de fixation des prix qui nous empêche d’arriver à cette situation où des molécules sont indisponibles pour des raisons commerciales. Ainsi nous examinons la possibilité d’imposer des restrictions à l’exportation de certains médicaments, notamment des antibiotiques pour enfants et d’autres médicaments dont des médicaments oncologiques. a précisé le ministre.

    Les médecins rappellent que quelques règles permettent d’éviter les maladies saisonnières comme se vacciner contre la grippe, respecter les normes d’hygiène et se tenir loin des zones très fréquentées. Les autorités ont de plus annoncé que le nouveau sérum anti-Covid adapté aux variants Omicron était désormais disponible.

  • En Roumanie, le Covid 19 n’est plus une urgence sanitaire

    En Roumanie, le Covid 19 n’est plus une urgence sanitaire

    Dimanche, le ministre roumain de la santé, Alexandru Rafila, a déclaré que le Covid 19 ne constituait plus un problème de santé publique en Roumanie. Au cours des derniers mois, quelques centaines de cas étaient rapportés quotidiennement et certains jours, aucun décès n’était comptabilisé. Le ministre a néanmoins souligné que l’évolution d’un virus est toujours imprévisible et que le vaccin demeure donc conseillé pour les catégories de personnes vulnérables comme les malades chroniques ou les personnes âgées de plus de 60 ans. D’autant plus que prochainement, le sérum adapté au variant Omicron sera disponible en Roumanie. Alexandru Rafila a déclaré : D’ici la fin du mois, nous aurons le vaccin adapté aux sous-variants B.A4 et B.A5 qui circulent actuellement. C’est la première fois que nous aurons un vaccin parfaitement adapté et moi personnellement, je vais me faire vacciner avec une quatrième dose. Je pense qu’il protège bien, tout comme le vaccin contre la grippe saisonnière que j’ai également fait. Il n’est pas exclu que dans le futur, il existe une vaccination saisonnière contre le covid comme elle existe déjà pour la grippe, et ceci sans lien avec la situation dramatique de l’année 2021, quand nous avons eu 26 mille décès pendant la quatrième vague pandémique.

    Selon le ministre de la Santé, la vaccination anti-Covid 19 se fera chez les médecins de famille ou dans les centres de vaccination ouverts dans la plupart des hôpitaux roumains. Alexandru Rafila a déclaré qu’il ne s’attendait pas à un pic important d’infections respiratoires. Il a précisé que jusqu’à présent le nombre de cas était proche de celui des années passées. Toutefois, selon lui, la saison actuelle est plus intense en ce qui concerne les virus et va probablement s’achever plus tôt que les autres années. Selon le ministre, une solution rapide pour faire face à cette augmentation du nombre de cas en cette saison pourrait être d’ouvrir des centres ambulatoires de pédiatrie dans les hôpitaux. Cette mesure qui avait déjà été mise en place pendant la pandémie permettrait de faire face à la situation sans ajouter de pression sur les urgences. Il a précisé : Seule une petite partie des enfants ont besoin d’une hospitalisation et d’une intervention dans les services d’urgence. Nous devons trouver une solution pour que les parents puissent avoir un endroit où aller avec leurs enfants, le médecin de famille en premier lieu mais s’il n’est pas disponible alors dans un centre ambulatoire spécialisé avec des pédiatres, avec la possibilité de faire des radios. Ainsi les problèmes pourront être résolus sans saturer les services d’urgence.

    Pendant toute la période d’état d’alerte pandémique qui a duré environ deux ans, du 18 mai 2020 au 9 mars 2022, les hôpitaux et centres de soin ont été confrontés à une surpopulation. Avant ça, la Roumanie avait été en état d’urgence pendant deux mois, après que l’OMS avait annoncé la pandémie de coronavirus. D’après les données officielles, au jour d’aujourd’hui, environ 3,3 millions de personnes ont été infectées par le Covid 19 en Roumanie et plus de 67 mille personnes sont décédées à cause du virus.

  • August 21, 2022 UPDATE

    August 21, 2022 UPDATE

    WEATHER The weather will be rather cool in Romania’s
    south-western regions, with a cloudy sky and showers. In the rest of the
    regions it will be hotter than usual with a higher heat and discomfort index
    mainly in the country’s south-east. Heavy rainfalls are expected particularly
    in the southern Carpathians and their surroundings as well as thunderstorms and
    hail. The highs of the day are ranging between 23 and 33 degrees centigrade.
    Yellow and orange alerts for unstable weather have been issued until Monday
    night for several counties in the center, south, west and north-west of the
    country.








    COVID-19 Over 2,000 new Covid-19 infections have been
    reported in the past 24 hours in Romania out of 99 hundred tests conducted,
    sources with the Health Ministry have announced. 7 related fatalities have also
    been reported while 34 hundred people are presently being treated in hospitals.
    Face covering is no longer mandatory in schools and no special protection measures
    are to be taken, the prefect of Bucharest Toni Grebla has announced. Health
    Minister Alexandru Rafila had earlier recommended the use of masks in schools
    adding though that the only protection measure is the proper ventilation of the
    classrooms.








    MEDALS Romanian athlete Catalin Chirila won bronze
    in the 500 meter race at the Canoe Sprint European Championships in Munich. A
    world vice-champion in Halifax, Canada, Chirila also reaped gold in the 1000 meter
    single canoe race in Munich. Another two athletes from Romania, Constantin
    Popovici and Catalin Preda walked away with gold and silver from the high diving
    event of the European Aquatics Championships held in Rome. Popovici made
    history as the first European champion in this event with 455.70 points. Preda,
    who took the lead after the first three rounds, eventually ended second with
    436.20 points. Italian Alessandro De Rose came third in the aforementioned
    event. Constantin’s namesake David claimed two European titles and a world
    record in the pool and has been designated the best athlete in the men’s events
    at the present edition of the Aquatics in Rome.






    SALES Hybrid and
    electric car sales almost doubled in Romania in the first 7 months of the year
    as compared to the same period of 2021. According to the Association of Car
    Producers and Importers (APIA) out of the 15 thousand green vehicles sold in
    the period between January and July this year, 47% were in the full hybrid
    category, nearly 40% were electric vehicles while the rest plug-in hybrid
    electric vehicles.






    VOLLEYBALL Romania’s national men’s volleyball side
    have qualified for the European Championships due next year after a 3-0 win
    against Albania in their last away game in the preliminary group G. Romania
    ranks first in the group with 5 wins and 15 points followed by Switzerland with
    12 points, Bosnia-Herzegovina 4 points and Albania with two. The seven winning
    sides of the preliminaries as well as the best five runner-ups are qualified
    for the final tournament. Romania won a European title in 1963, two silver
    medals in 1955 and 1958 and two bronze in 1971 and 1977. At the 2019 edition of
    the European Championship our side ranked 21st.








    DIPLOMACY According to the spokeswoman for the
    Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, Russia will have a proper response
    to Bucharest’s decision to declare persona non grata an employee of its embassy
    in Romania. Zakharova says that Romania has declared the Russian employee
    persona non grata ‘without any reason and under exaggerated pretexts’. The
    Romanian Foreign Ministry says that a decision to expel the Russian employee
    has been made because the person was involved in activities incompatible with
    the Vienna Convention of 1961 concerning diplomatic relations, a generic
    definition for espionage allegations.




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  • Covid-19 on a downward trend in Romania

    Covid-19 on a downward trend in Romania


    According to authorities in Bucharest, the number of Covid-19 infections is going down in Romania. State Secretary with the Healthcare Ministry, epidemiologist Adriana Pistol said that 39 thousand new infections were reported last week, 13 thousand less than in the previous period of time. This downward tendency is visible now and will become more clearly visible next week. Here is epidemiologist Adriana Pistol.


    Adriana Pistol: “Between August 8th and 14th the number of infections was considerably lower than a week before. So, obviously the number of infections is on a downward trend. This is also visible in the number of related fatalities, which was also lower than in the previous week. This is the situation now, but as people come back from holidays and the school year is to begin soon, we may expect the number of infections to rise again.”


    Until next month when school is to resume, face covering remains an effective way to avoid the disease, state secretary Adriana Pistol went on to say.


    Adriana Pistol: “We have seen people who are wearing masks in public transport vehicles and supermarkets; we thank them and encourage them to continue to do so. We believe such a behavior has largely contributed to this downward trend because the virus is airborne and this is the right method to avoid contamination and protect the others.”


    36 hundred new infections were announced on Tuesday, lower than a week ago, while 4 thousand patients were being treated in hospitals around the country.


    Authorities say the Omicron variant was responsible for most of the infections last week. BA2 has been identified in 39% of the cases, while BA5 in 16%. We recall that Romania lifted all restrictions on March 9th. Romanian Healthcare Minister Alexandru Rafila announced back then that mask mandates in indoor and outdoor spaces had been lifted. Covid and travel certificates ceased to be mandatory in Romania, a country, which had been in a state of medical alert for almost 2 years. According to official data, 3.1 million infections have so far been reported as well as 66 thousand related fatalities, mainly among people above 60.


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  • Is Romania bracing up for a new Covid-19 wave?

    Is Romania bracing up for a new Covid-19 wave?

    The
    number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections in Romania has doubled from one week to
    another and so has the number of people admitted to hospitals and the fatalities
    related. Almost 15 thousand new cases were reported last week and experts with
    the National Public Health Institute believe the number of infections will
    maintain its upward trend for another four-five weeks.




    According
    to Romania’s Health Minister Alexandru Rafila, the infection rate has now reached
    12%, prompting authorities to report cases on a daily basis after a month when
    the number of infections was presented only weekly. Experts believe the new subvariant, which
    caused the present wave of infections at international level and has been
    identified in Romania as well, diminishes the protection offered by the vaccine
    and the immunity given by the disease but by and large doesn’t seem to cause
    severe cases. The Health Minister recommends that people go back to the
    prevention measures like face-covering and avoiding crowded places. He also has
    recommendations for those showing Covid symptoms.




    Alexandru Rafila: They can get tested by family physicians or
    may call the ambulance depending on the case. If they test positive, they must
    go into self-isolation at home or go to the doctor or the outpatient centers if
    the symptoms are more visible. Patients with comorbidities and more severe
    symptoms must be admitted to hospitals.




    Although many test
    centers have been closed down at the end of the latest wave of the pandemic,
    Romanians still rely on more than 43 hundred locations where they can get
    tested, including at their family physicians, some chemists, clinics and hospitals.




    In
    the meantime, health authorities in Romania are looking for sponsors for the
    centers specialized in providing Covid-19 tests and treatment so that they may
    offer services also at weekends in an attempt to keep the new wave of
    infections at bay. 169 suchlike centers are being functional all over Romania.
    Although these medical units aren’t very busy at present but as the number of
    infections is expected to rise, they must be ready to test and treat their
    patients.




    Minister
    Rafila recommends that anti-Covid vaccination begin in autumn, when a new
    vaccine is expected to become available. In an interview to a private TV
    channel the minister says that the present vaccine is no longer effective
    against the new Omicron strains.




    Alexandru Rafila: We are now facing the second Omicron wave
    and the vaccine aimed at stopping the spreading is limited. We must be honest
    so that we may increase people’s confidence in vaccination. Because if we are
    telling them the truth now we can also tell them the truth every time, even when
    the situation isn’t favourable like it is now or when it becomes favourable
    again as we hope to be in autumn.




    According
    to doctor Rafila, the new vaccine is to arrive in Romania in September.


    (bill)





  • July 4, 2022 UPDATE

    July 4, 2022 UPDATE

    HEAT Romania is presently being affected by a wave of extreme
    heat. Meteorologists have issued code orange and yellow alerts against extreme
    heat for a number of counties in the west. Temperatures here are expected to
    reach and exceed 39 degrees Celsius and stand at 34-37 degrees across the
    territory. Starting Wednesday, meteorologists expect temperatures to drop in
    the north and west and to reach the normal value for this period starting
    Thursday. Meanwhile, rainfall will expand to a number of regions, including in
    the capital city Bucharest.






    WAR The Ukrainian flag is again flying over the Snake Island in
    the Black Sea, after Russian troops withdrew from this very strategic place
    close to Romania, sources with the Ukrainian army announced on Monday. Natalia
    Humeniuk, spokeswoman for Ukraine’s army, told a news conference that ‘the
    military operations have been concluded and the island has been returned to the
    jurisdiction of Ukraine.’ In another development, the Russian army presses its
    attack in Eastern Ukraine, after on Sunday it conquered Lysychansk, a city of
    great strategic value for the Russians’ occupation strategy in Donbas. The Russian
    forces seem to be focusing their attacks on Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, two
    cities west of Lysychansk. President Volodymyr Zelensky has tried to downplay
    the Russians’ announcement, saying his country will not give up an inch of its
    territory and that the Ukrainian armed forces will retake the areas controlled
    by the Russians owing to the increase in the delivery of modern weapons to
    Ukraine.






    ATTACK A gunman killed three and wounded several others in a Copenhagen mall
    on Sunday night. The suspect, a Danish man aged 22 who was carrying a rifle and
    ammunition, was peacefully apprehended by the police on the premises shortly
    after the incident. Police announced on Monday that the man was known to
    psychiatric professionals and was detained in a closed psychiatric facility.
    Gun attacks are relatively rare in Denmark. Copenhagen saw its last major
    shooting incident in 2015, when a gunman opened fire during a free speech forum
    featuring controversial cartoonist Lars Vilks.






    COVID-19 Romania’s Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, has cautioned the
    number of Covid-19 infections has been on the rise in Romania in the past week.
    If in May, Romania announced about 2000 confirmed cases, the number of
    infections has grown gradually to 8,000 today. Rafila estimates Romania is
    going to reach 10 thousand daily cases and see a peak in the month of August.
    The Omicron variant continues to be dominant in Romania and its BA5 variant can
    infect even the vaccinated or people who suffered from the disease in the past.






    GLACIER At least 7 people lost their
    lives on Sunday after a glacier collapsed in the northern Italian Alps, local
    authorities have announced. According to Radio Romania correspondent in Italy,
    at least eight people have been wounded and two have sustained serious
    injuries. Helicopters and rescue teams with dogs are looking for those who
    disappeared in the avalanche triggered by the glacier collapse. Italian Prime
    Minister Mario Draghi said the incident was without doubt linked to climate
    change.




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  • June 13, 2022 UPDATE

    June 13, 2022 UPDATE

    COMMEMORATION On Monday, when Romania commemorated 32
    years since the miners’ raid on Bucharest, over June 13th and 15th,
    the country’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca conveyed a message saying that the
    civil society’s marathon-demonstration against neo-communism was stifled by
    instigating Romanians against Romanians. The Romanian society must never become
    victim to diversions and false propaganda, the head of the Romanian government
    says. 32 years ago responding to a call from the then authorities, miners from
    the Jiu Valley in central-western Romania brutally intervened against the
    peaceful anti-government protesters in downtown Bucharest. Four people were
    shot dead and over 1,000 wounded along with a series of abusive arrests. The
    file on the miners’ raid, under which the country’s then President Ion Iliescu,
    former Prime Minister Petre Roman and Virgil Magureanu, the former head of the
    country’s intelligence service, had been sent to court must be resumed from
    scratch after the indictment was considered null and void.






    MEETING Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will be attending a
    low-scale meeting aimed at preparing the upcoming NATO summit. The meeting is
    being staged by the Dutch and Danish Prime Ministers and will be attended by
    the Prime Ministers of Belgium, Latvia, Poland and Portugal as well as by NATO
    Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Participants will be focusing on
    coordinating the positions and joint messages of the allied countries ahead of
    the NATO summit in Madrid late this month. Talks are expected to focus on the
    situation in Ukraine, the consolidation of the deterrence & defence posture
    on NATO’s eastern flank, the alliance’s new strategic concept and the accession
    prospects of Sweden and Finland.








    MONKEYPOX Romania announced its first case of monkeypox on Monday, a
    26 year old man in Bucharest. Monkeypox cannot be spread easily among humans and
    needs close body contact. The rash, bodily fluids (such as fluid, pus or
    blood from skin lesions) and scabs are particularly infectious. The main way in
    which one can get the disease is through long physical contact with an infected
    person.








    WAR Amnesty
    International has accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, claiming that
    hundreds of civilians have been killed in merciless frag bomb attacks against
    the city of Kharkiv, AFP reports. After thorough investigations, this human
    rights NGO claims it found evidence that the Russian forces had used widely-banned cluster ammunition. People
    have been killed in their homes and in the streets, in playgrounds and in
    cemeteries, while queueing for humanitarian aid, or shopping for food and
    medicine, says an Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Response Advisor.
    While Russia is not a party to either the Convention on Cluster Munitions or the Convention
    on Anti-Personnel Mines    , international
    humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks, and the use of weapons that
    are indiscriminate by nature.








    REFUGEES Roughly
    7,000 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania through its border checkpoints on
    Sunday, June 12th, 26% less than in the previous day, the Border Police General
    Inspectorate has announced. Since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, roughly
    1.2 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.






    COVID-19 Romania is no longer providing COVID-19 infection reports
    on a daily basis, but weekly. According to Health Minister Alexandru Rafila,
    the reports will be just like in the case of season flu, as the spreading
    degree of the virus is very low at present and on a downward trend. The number
    of people in need of hospital treatment is also going down. The health minister
    said that authorities won’t go back to daily monitoring unless the situation
    worsens. Last week, Romania reported 2,112 new infections with 51 patients in
    ICUs. 21 related fatalities have also been reported for the period between June
    6 and 12.






    TENNIS Romanian tennis player Simona
    Halep on Monday secured a 6-1, 6-4 win against Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine in the
    first round of the WTA 250 Birmingham tournament. Another Romanian in the
    competition, sixth-seeded Sorana Cirstea will be playing US challenger Shelby
    Rogers on Tuesday.






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