Radio România Internațional

Tag: vaccination campaign

April 15, 2021

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA -3,852 new cases of COVID-19 infection
have been reported in Romania in the last 24 hours following 37,517 tests. 195
related fatalities have also been reported during the interval, the Group for
Strategic Communication announced on Thursday. 1,518 patients are currently in
intensive care. Bucharest continues to be the city with the highest incidence
rate. The National Committee for the Coordination of Vaccination announced
Romania ranks 4th at EU level in terms the number of people who’ve received
both doses of the vaccine, and 7th in terms of the total number of immunized
people. So far, 2.4 million Romanians have received both doses of the anti-COVID-19
vaccine.

GOVERNMENT – The Government in
Bucharest is today discussing the principles underlying the elaboration of the
new public salary law, under which bonuses will be handed out only in special
conditions, as well as a number of new measures for preventing and combating
the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic operators who have already been
fined two or three times for failing to comply with anti-COVID regulations, may
have their licenses revoked, according to another bill on the Government’s
agenda for today. Additionally, Cabinet ministers are due to discuss a
memorandum on the delivery of a new batch of 300 thousand doses of the Pfizer
vaccine to Romania, as well as plans for the restructuring of the Oltenia
Energy Complex (in the south).

AMBASSADORS – Parliament’s
special committees on Thursday completed the interviews of the 25 candidates
applying for ambassador positions, following their appointment by president
Klaus Iohannis. The president of the Senate’s foreign policy committee, Titus
Corlăţean, said he is happy with the results of the interviews, which he
described as serious and professional. Presidential adviser Andrei Muraru got a
favorable opinion for taking over as Roamnia’s Ambassador to the United States.
At the end of his hearing in Parliament, Muraru expressed confidence that
Romanians will be able to travel to the United States visa-free by the end of
the president’s term in office, in 2024. George Cristian Maior, Romania’s
ambassador to Washington over 2015-2021, got a favorable opinion for
representing Romania in Jordan. Cezar Armeanu will be Romania’s ambassador to
South Korea, Răduţa-Dana Matache will represent Romania in the Philippines,
Alexandrina-Livia Rusu in Luxembourg and Elena Şerbănescu in Tunisia.

AFGHANISTAN – The United States
will pull back its troops from Afghanistan by the end of August, President Joe
Biden has announced. The withdrawal is a consequence of the Peace Agreement
signed by the Americans and the Taliban, despite the fact that there is yet no
peace settlement in this country, as well as no guarantees the war will end,
pundits have argued. NATO has also decided to start withdrawing its troops
starting May 1, after having conducted similar operations in Afghanistan. The
decision was adopted on Wednesday in the NATO Council. Representing Romania in
yesterday’s videoconference was Romania’s Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, and
Defense Minister, Nicolae Ciucă. Our country has over 600 military deployed in
NATO operations in Afghanistan right now, which it will start pulling back.

FILM – Romanian filmmaker
and screen writer Radu Jude will be honored in La Rochelle Cinéma (FEMA)
Film Festival to take place over June 25 – July 4. At the 49th
edition of the festival, Radu Jude will be honored alongside other filmmakers
and figures of world cinema. A key figure of the Romanian new wave, Radu Jude,
whose film Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
grabbed the Golden Bear in 2021, will be presenting his works, organizers have
announced. Over the years a number of prestigious filmmakers were honored in
the festival, including Agnes Varda, Béla Tarr, Juliette Binoche, Anouk Aimée,
as well as Romanians Lucian Pintilie and Andrei Ujică. Starting 1973, the La
Rochelle Film Festival has been celebrating and screening old and contemporary
film productions. (V.P.)

15 April 2021
April 13, 2021

COVID-19 IN
ROMANIA – 3,883 new COVID-19 infections have been reported in the last 24 hours
in Romania, the Group for Strategic Communication announced on Tuesday. 193
related fatalities have also been confirmed during the interval. 13,661 people infected
with SARS-CoV-2 are currently hospitalized, 1,530 of whom are in intensive
care. Since the start of the pandemic over a million infections have been
reported in Romania, 90% of the people who got infected having recovered. Over
1.5 million Romanians have already taken both doses of the anti-COVID vaccine.

COVID-19 IN THE
WORLD – The total number of COVID-19 infections has exceeded 137 million people
worldwide, 110 million people have recovered and 3 million people have died,
the latest worldometers.info update reveals. Over a third of the victims have
been reported in Europe, where the death toll has exceeded 1 million people,
making it the continent with the largest number of COVID-related fatalities,
ahead of Latin America and the Caribbean, the United States and Canada, the
Middle East and Africa.

INVESTIGATION
– Romanian authorities have launched an investigation at the Victor Babeş
Infectious Disease Hospital in Bucharest, where three patients suffering from
COVID-19 died on Monday. The head of the Department for Emergency Situations,
Raed Arafat, said the patients died after a malfunction was reported in the
oxygen supply system of the mobile unit where they were treated. Another five
patients who survived have been transferred to other hospitals. Raed Arafat
said some 155 patients needed oxygen on Monday in emergency units in hospitals.
There are over 1,500 people currently in intensive care across the country.

INFLATION -
The annual inflation rate in Romania has dropped to 3.1% in March, from 3.2% in
February, the National Statistics Institute reports. Price hikes were reported
for non-food products, 4.37%, foodstuffs, 1.59% and services, 2.21%. The
National Bank of Romania estimates an inflation rate of 2% at the end of the
first quarter of the year and 2.5% for the end of the year.

UNESCO – A panel
discussion entitled Romania’s UNESCO world heritage – challenges and
solutions is today hosted by the Romanian Parliament, an event marking 65
years since Romania joined UNESCO. The attendance list includes the speakers of
the two chambers of Parliament, representatives of the Romanian Academy and the
Romanian Cultural Institute, of the National Heritage Institute and the
Romanian UNESCO National Commission. The UNESCO World Heritage list also
includes a number of cultural sites from Romania, such as churches in Moldavia,
Horezu monastery, fortified churches in Transylvania, Dacian citadels in Orăștiei Mountains, the Sighișoara
Historical Center, wooden churches in Maramureș, as well as natural sites – the
Danube Delta, old-growth birch forests in the Carpathian mountains.

POVERTY – Over
a third of Romanian parents in vulnerable communities in the rural area can fully
or partially provide meals for their families, according to a survey conducted
in poverty-stricken communities in 2020 by World Vision Romania, an
organization conducting emergency humanitarian programmes, with a focus on
children welfare. According to the source, 41% of respondents were forced to
cut back on family spending, one of the main reasons being that over a quarter
of parents in the rural area were left without a job and, by extension, without
a source of income, also forced with the impossibility of finding employment
due to pandemic-related restrictions. 1 in 10 children in rural areas goes to
sleep on an empty stomach almost every day, the World Vision Romania survey
also shows. (V.P.)

13 April 2021
April 12, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN
ROMANIA – In Romania, almost 3.7 million doses of vaccine have been
administered so far. 1.4 million people have received both jabs. Authorities
have announced that 171 new vaccination centers will be opened this week. The
president of the National Committee for the coordination of activities
regarding the vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, has
given assurances that, starting this week, approximately 80,000 people will be
immunized daily. In turn, Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has stated that the recent
evolution of the pandemic, with a slight improvement in terms of new infections
reported, but with an accelerated increase in the number of serious cases,
requires finding solutions to reach the target of 1,600 places in intensive
care. For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, there are over
1,500 infected people in serious condition, and the Intensive Care Units are
full. Romania has exceeded one million infections with the new coronavirus and
25 thousand deaths. In the last 24 hours, over 2,300 cases of infection and 113
deaths were reported.

COVID-19 IN
THE WORLD – The United Kingdom has lifted many of the restrictions imposed
because of the coronavirus pandemic, after months of lockdown. Prime Minister
Boris Johnson described the moment as an important step towards normalcy, but
urged the population to behave responsibly. In Italy, several regions are no
longer in the high-risk category. As regards France, the vaccination campaign
has been accelerated, as the country struggles to control the third wave of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Germany has exceeded the threshold of three million cases of
COVID-19, and calls to tighten restrictions are growing. The number of COVID-19
infections is also increasing in Spain, where several regions have exceeded the
extreme risk threshold. One of the most affected regions is that of the capital
Madrid. In other news, the American company Johnson & Johnson on Monday
made its first vaccine deliveries to EU member states. The serum is the fourth
to be greenlit by the European Medicines Agency, after Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna
and AstraZeneca. Johnson & Johnson is already being administered in the
United States and South Africa and has been certified for population use in
Canada.

SCHOOL -
As of Monday, Romanian 8th and 12th graders return to
classes in 100% online format, until April 29, when the Easter holiday starts.
The current school year has changed due to the negative evolution of the
pandemic this spring, so the holiday has been extended for preschoolers and
pupils, except for those who will take the national exams. As of next autumn, semesters
might be replaced by quarters, and the next school year could be extended to
recover what has been lost by teaching online in the past year, but only if the
education unions, pupils and parents agree. The relevant minister, Sorin
Cîmpeanu, says that all the solutions that will result from these consultations
will be considered.

MOTION -
The Social-Democratic Party in opposition has announced the filing of a simple
motion against Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu, the second in the current
legislature. The Social-Democrats claim Voiculescu is not the right man for
managing the health crisis, is causing confusion, does not observe mandatory
regulations and is arguing with everyone. Vociulescu was appointed on behalf
of the USR-PLUS Alliance, and his position was examined on Monday by the
center-right ruling coalition, who decided to continue to support Voiculescu.
Relations between the Health Minister and Liberal Prime Minister Florin Citu
were strained after the forced evacuation of an orthopedics emergency hospital
in Bucharest which now receives COVID patients. Vlad Voiculescu pointed out
that the hospital is not currently in the subordination of the Health Ministry
and that he could not overrule the hospital manager’s decision.

NATO -
The Cyber Defense Command of the Romanian Ministry of Defense participates,
between April 13-16, in the international cyber defense exercise Locked Shields
2021. Teams from allied and partner states made up of military and civilian
professionals take part in the exercise that takes place in online format,
planned and organized by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of
Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. The aim of the exercise is to improve the
training of cyber security specialists and act in large interdepartmental and
multidisciplinary teams in order to protect information technology networks and
national critical infrastructures against multiple and multidirectional cyber-attacks
in real time. Locked Shields 2021 takes place in a real-world scenario, using
state-of-the-art specific technologies and simulating massive cyber incidents,
including strategic decision-making, legal and public communication.

CENSUS -
A trial census was carried out in February and March in Romania, in preparation
for the Population and Housing Census, initially scheduled for 2021, but
postponed for next year. According to the National Institute of Statistics, the
trial census, in which 50,000 households from all over the country
participated, was aimed at testing the data collection capacity, the
functioning of the technical solution for self-census, as well as the
organization of the workflow in the review process. The novel elements include
the possibility for each person to self-review by simply accessing a link, the
elimination of paper questionnaires and the use by reviewers of tablets
provided by the Special Telecommunications Service. Starting 2021, the
Population and Housing Census will be carried out in all EU Member States in
accordance with the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

EARNINGS
– The average net salary in Romania decreased to 3,365 lei (about 680 Euros) in
February, 0.9% lower than in January – according to data from the National
Institute of Statistics published on Monday. In February, in most activities in
the economic sector, the level of average net earnings decreased as a result of
the granting in the previous months of occasional bonuses (quarterly and annual
bonuses, for special performances or the 13th salary), rights in kind and
benefits, net profits and amounts from other funds. The highest values of
average net salary were recorded in IT services, and the lowest in hotels and
restaurants. According to the NIS, compared to February 2020, the average net
salary increased by 5.1%.in February 2021. (M.I. & V.P.)

12 April 2021
Lifting of restrictions starting June 1

Romanians are expecting a
return to normalcy, albeit gradual, without being hampered by restrictions and
bans imposed under the pandemic. This prospect is now real: Prime Minister Florin
Cîţu on Monday said some of the restrictions might be lifted starting June so
as to return to a normal state of affairs. Florin Cîţu said an
inter-ministerial committee was set up which will include representatives of
employers’ associations and others. Over the next period the committee will
examine a number of decisions to ease restrictions. The Prime Minister warned,
however, that vaccination must continue at an accelerated pace if we are to
reach that point.

April and May are two
important months, because we will receive nearly 8.3 million doses of
anti-COVID vaccine. At the end of May, in the worst-case scenario, we will have
5 million people who’ve taken the vaccine, which accounts for 35% of the
population. At best we will have 6.3 million people who will have taken the
vaccine. At the end of May we can start talking about economic recovery. It’s
extremely important, and I call on all politicians, the governing coalition,
elected mayors and councilmen, presidents of county councils, to promote the
vaccination campaign. All Romanians must receive updated information regarding
this campaign.

Prime Minister Florin Cîţu
explained the Church must also get involved, particularly in rural areas, where
the vaccination percentage is extremely low right now. All Romanians must
receive accurate information in order to get immunized, Florin Cîţu said,
adding that he discussed these matters in a meeting with representatives of
religious denominations. The Romanian Orthodox Church recalls in a press
release its pro-vaccination stance. Romanian Patriarchy spokesman, Vasile Bănescu, said that
parishioners are provided with all the necessary information in a leaflet
printed by the authorities. Vasile Bănescu also said he has taken the vaccine
shot and urged everyone to inform themselves on the vaccine and make the best
choice for themselves and their loved ones. The authorities are preparing a new
awareness-raising campaign amidst fears that million of doses of vaccine will
be lost due to people refusing to take the vaccine. Since the start of the
vaccination campaign, some 2.1 million people in Romania have received the anti-COVID
shot, of which 1.2 million have received both doses. (V.P.)

6 April 2021
March 19, 2021

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Some 5,600 new cases of COVID-19 infection were
reported in Romania on Friday, the Group for Strategic Communication announced.
Another 143 related fatalities were also signaled during a 24-hour interval. The
number of people currently in intensive care has exceeded 1,300, a national
record since the start of the pandemic. Over 887,000 people got infected with
SARS-CoV-2 in Romania starting last year. Bucharest and another eight counties
are in the so-called red scenario, where the incidence of the virus exceeds 3
per thousand inhabitants. Several localities around the capital city are now
under lockdown. On the other hand, starting December 27, 2020, over 1.6 million
people have been vaccinated in Romania with one of the three serums being
rolled out in Romania – Pfizer- BioNTech, Modern and AstraZeneca. On Monday,
the vaccination campaign entered its third stage addressing the general
population. For the time being, the campaign is carried out in localities where
the incidence rate exceeds 4.5 per thousand inhabitants. The rest of the population
can register on waiting lists on the online platform.

VACCINE – Several European countries, including France,
Germany and Spain, have announced they will resume administering the AstraZeneca
anti-COVID-19 vaccine, after European pharmaceutical agencies announced the
vaccine is safe and effective. On Thursday, the European Medicines Agency
expressed confidence the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks,
considering many countries expressed concerns after blood clots were identified
in people who were given the serum. The WHO Director for Europe, Hans Kluge,
also said the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh any potential health
risks, adding that European countries should continue administering the vaccine
to help save lives. So far, over 45 million doses of AstraZeneca have been
administered in the European Economic Area.

CVM – The European Commission supports the lifting of the Cooperation and
Verification Mechanism monitoring the Romanian judiciary by the end of 2021,
Prime Minister Florin Cîţu said on a Facebook post. The announcement follows a
meeting with European Commission vice-president, Vera Jourová. Florin Cîţu says
the Government wants to eliminate and repair the amendments brought to the justice
laws over 2017-2019, and shares the Commission’s desire to finalize by mid-2021
all commitments regarding the rule of law. The European Commission has mainly
recommended the elimination of the Special Section Investigating Crime in
Justice, the update of the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code,
continuing the fight against corruption and defending freedom and pluralism of
the press.

PLAN – The Government in Bucharest is today holding a special meeting to
discuss the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, before adopting it next
week. The document must be submitted to the European Commission in April, so
that Romania should be allotted €30 billion worth of developments funds until
2026, by which date all projects included in the plan must be completed. Prime
Minister Florin Cîţu said the Plan represents a huge opportunity for a swift
economic recovery and improving Romanians’ living standards.

RUSSIA – Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is ready to hold online talks
with the American President Joe Biden, Reuters reports. The White House, on the
other hand, says Biden doesn’t regret calling the Kremlin leader a killer.
Moreover, Moscow said Biden’s statements are a clear sign Washington isn’t in
the least interested in repairing relations with Moscow. On Wednesday, Russia
recalled its ambassador to the United States for consultations, expressing, at
the same time, its willingness to avoid an irreversible degradation of
relations with the USA.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player
Jaqueline Cristian (160 WTA) is today playing Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia (39
WTA) in the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament in St. Petersburg, totaling
565 thousand dollars in prizes. On Thursday, Cristian ousted Jelena Ostapenko
of Latvia, a former winner at Roland Garros and seeded 6th in the
competition. In the doubles, the pair made up of Monica Niculescu of Romania
and
Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove of the Netherlands are today playing Raluca Olaru of
Romania and Nadia Kicenok of Ukraine in the semi-finals. The top favorites,
Olaru and Kicenok, ousted Arina Rodionova of Australia and
Rosalie Van Der Hoeck of the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. (V.P.)

19 March 2021
March 17, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The Covid-19 vaccination campaign continues
in Romania. Since its start on December 27, more than 1.5 million people have
been vaccinated, mostly with Pfizer-BioNTech, but also with Moderna and
AstraZeneca. Romania has decided to continue the vaccination with AstraZeneca
shots, based on scientific data and the recommendations of the European
Medicines Agency, the coordinator of the immunization campaign, Valeriu
Gheorghita, has stated. He’s said the decision was not easy to make, given that
so many European countries have decided to temporarily halt the use of the
vaccine as a precautionary measure, following reports of blood clotting in
people who got the jab. The third stage of vaccination, for the general
population, started on Monday. For the time being, people are vaccinated in the
localities where the incidence of cases is higher than 4.5 per one thousand
inhabitants. The rest of the population can register for the waiting lists on
the electronic platform. More than 6.200 new cases of infection were reported
in Romania in the last 24 hours, as well as 89 Covid-19 related deaths. 1,266
people are currently in intensive care.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Several Eastern European countries are
faced with the third wave of the pandemic, which puts pressure on health
systems again. Hungary has a new hospitalization record for COVID-19 related
cases. This country with less than 10 million inhabitants currently has over
9,800 hospitalized people, of whom about 1,000 in intensive care. Bulgaria is
the fourth country in the EU with the highest number of deaths reported in the
last 14 days, after Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The situation is
much worse in the Czech Republic, which is the country with the highest number
of cases of infection in the EU, ie 15.7 per one thousand inhabitants in the
last two weeks. On the other hand, on Tuesday, the European Medicines Agency
announced that it remained firmly convinced that the benefits of the
anti-COVID-19 vaccine produced by Astra Zeneca outweighed the risks. Several
countries have suspended the use of Astra Zeneca after signaling possible side
effects. Worldwide, according to worldometers, more than 121 million people
have been infected with the new coronavirus. At least 2.6 million people have
died and nearly 97 million have been declared cured since the beginning of the
pandemic a year ago.

PLAN – Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday attended a
working meeting on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Attended
by the leaders of the ruling coalition, the meeting agreed on the plan, which
represents a chance for Romania’s development and carrying out reforms that have
been put off for so many years, the president said. The €30 billion provided in
the plan will give Romanian economy and society increased resilience in the
case of upcoming crises. Previously, the Minister of European Investments and
Projects, Cristian Ghinea, said that one of the important components of the
plan is fighting poverty. Cristian Ghinea has also mentioned a program for
reducing school dropout, which targets 1,600 schools and a bridge scholarship
program for high school students, especially those from rural areas. He also
spoke about investments to increase Romanians’ access to the health system,
including the construction of new hospitals and the modernization of existing
ones.

GOVERNMENT – The Romanian Government on Wednesday debated the draft
law banning cumulated pension-salary incomes, put up for public debate by the
Ministry of Labor. According to the labour ministry, pensioners in the public
system will be able to choose to continue working until the age of 70, during
which time the payment of the pension will be suspended. Labor Minister Raluca
Turcan said some 35,000 pensioners who are currently also receiving state-paid
salaries must choose between one of the two within 30 days of the law taking
effect. Exempted from this law will be people with certain categories of
income, such as hourly pay or copyrights. Under the draft law, members of the
Romanian Academy, Member of Parliament or workers in the local administration
will also be exempted from this law.

SEA SHIELD 21 – Over 2,400 military from eight countries, 18
battleships and 10 aircraft are taking part over March 19-29 in Sea Shield
21, the largest multinational NATO exercise hosted by the Romanian Naval
Forces in 2021 in the Black Sea area. According to the Romanian Ministry of
Defense, navy forces from Bulgaria, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania,
Spain, the United States and Turkey are taking part in drills overseen by Fleet
Command. The purpose of Sea Shield 21 is to verify and consolidate the level of
interoperability and cooperation between the Romanian Naval Forces and the
other branches of the Romanian Army, various structures within the Interior
Ministry and allied naval forces. The exercises will cover every stage of a
standard NATO maritime response to a geopolitical crisis in the region and is
aimed at proving the Romanian Army’s constant commitment to strengthening
NATO’s maritime posture against a volatile security context. After the illegal
annexation of Crimea in 2014 by the Russian Federation, the Romanian Naval
Forces recommended the introduction of this tactical exercise on NATO’s agenda
of collective defense training, in order to develop the interoperability of all
its combat forces (maritime, underwater, land and air). The first edition of
Sea Shield was held in 2015. Over the following years its agenda was adapted to
provide a swift and effective response to a whole array of threats to maritime
security and stability in the region.

BUDGETS – Parliament’s budget and finance committees on Wednesday
issued a negative opinion for the activity reports of the public TV and radio
broadcasters in 2018 and 2019. Ruling coalition MPs voted for a negative
opinion, while Social-Democrats and AUR MPs in opposition voted against. After
getting the committee’s opinion, the reports will be submitted to Parliament’s
culture committee, which must draft a report of its own, which in turn will be
submitted for debate and vote in Parliament’s plenary sitting. Should
Parliament reject the two institutions’ activity reports, their management will
be sacked. (M.I. & V.P.)

17 March 2021
March 15, 2021

COVID-19 IN
ROMANIA – The capital city Bucharest and Braşov, Cluj, Hunedoara, Ilfov, Sălaj and Timiş counties have
entered the red zone, the infection rate having exceed 3 per thousand
inhabitants in these areas. On Sunday another 4,400 new infections were announced,
by nearly 1,000 more than the previous week. The total number of infections
stands at some 859 thousand, with the death toll closing in on 21,500. Over
1,200 people are in intensive care. Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has called for
identifying new hospitals to join the fight against COVID-19, by increasing the
number of ICU beds to 1,600 and ensuring the necessary supply of medicines and
continuing vaccination. We recall the state of alert has been extended for another
30 days. All restrictions imposed so far remain in place, with the
exception of the nighttime curfew, which now begins at 10 PM and ends at 5 AM.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The Netherlands has suspended the use
of the AstraZeneca anti-COVID vaccine
as a precaution after possible side effects were reported in Denmark and
Norway, without a confirmed connection being established so far. Several other
European countries suspended their AstraZeneca vaccine rollouts after people
who took the vaccine developed blood clots. AstraZeneca announced it concluded
an analysis of the anti-COVID vaccination process and found no risk of blood
clots in people who were immunized with its vaccine. The number of blood clots
developed in people who took the vaccine is inferior to estimates, the
pharmaceutical company announced. The European Medicines Agency announced the vaccine’s
benefits continue to outweigh its risks and the vaccine can continue to be
administered while investigation of cases of thromboembolic events is ongoing.
On the other hand, large areas of Italy today enter a three-week lockdown in an
attempt to slow down the spread of the virus. People coming in and out of this
country need to provide PCR negative tests for COVID-19. Israel, on the other
hand, continues to ease restrictions.

VACCINATION
– The vaccination campaign in Romania today entered its third stage addressing
the general population. For the time being the immunization process is carried
out in towns and villages where the COVID infection rate exceeds 4.5 per thousand
inhabitants. People can register on waiting lists on the online platform. Meanwhile
people who enrolled in the second phase continue to get their shots. So far
over 2.2 million people have taken one of the three vaccines rolled out in
Romania – Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca.

MESSAGE – Romania’s
president, Klaus Iohannis, today conveyed a message marking the Day of
Hungarians Worldwide. In his message, the president said that fostering
interethnic harmony will help consolidate a stronger and more prosperous
society. The head of state referred to the significant contribution of the
Hungarian minority in Romania and its political representatives to Romania’s
efforts towards European integration, promoting democratic values, human rights
and the protection of minorities as underlying elements of Romanian society. These
are the foundations of our common path towards a European future that shows a
deep understanding of the mistakes of the past, president Iohannis said in his
message.

FIRE – A
fire broke out today at the Psychiatry Hospital in Cavnic, northwestern
Romania. 71 people were evacuated after a fire broke out in a bathroom on the
third floor. The fire was extinguished without any victims being reported.
After ventilating all wards, patients were returned to the hospital. This is
the latest in a number of fires that recently broke out in hospitals in
Romania. On January 29, five people were killed after four wards burned down at
the Matei Balş Infectious
Disease hospital in Bucharest. Also in January, a fire broke out at the
Psychiatry Hospital in Gătaia, western Romania, and at a hospital in Roman. On
December 25, 2020, a paitent died in another fire at the Socola Psychiatry
Hospital in Iaşi, northeastern Romania. The most serious such incident remains
the fire of November, 2020 at the Piatra Neamţ county hospital, which killed 10
people.

ENERGY -
Romania’s Energy Minister, Virgil Popescu, is starting today on a two-day visit
to Brussels, where he will try to persuade EU officials to approve the €1.33
billion restructuring plan for the Oltenia Energy Company. Oltenia needs a
total of €3.5 billion to cover restructuring costs over the next 5 years, of
which €1.5 billion is provided by the Company, and the rest by the state. In
February, the European Commission announced the launch of a comprehensive
investigation of the state funding allotted to restructure the company,
claiming the company’s energy output won’t change significantly after its
reorganization. Romanian authorities hope to obtain the approval of the
European Commission by the end of April, so that the Oltenia Energy Company
should be able to pay CO2 permits for 2020 penalty-free.

HANDBALL
– The Romanian men’s national handball team surprisingly lost 30-25 to Kosovo
on Sunday in a match counting towards Group 8 in the second phase of the 2022
European Championship preliminaries. After it drew against Kosovo away from
home a few days before, Romania was humiliated in Bucharest. Sweden is top of
the group tables with 6 points in 3 games, followed by Romania with 3 points in
4 games, Kosovo with 3 points in 4 games and Montenegro with 2 points in 3
games. Romania’s next fixtures will be against Sweden on April 28 in Sibiu and
against Montenegro on May 2 in Podgorica. Romania last qualified to a European
Championship in 1996, in Spain, where it ranked 9th. (V.P.)

15 March 2021
March 14, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Prime Minister
Florin Cîţu on Sunday called for identifying new hospitals to join the fight
against COVID-19, by increasing the number of ICU beds to 1,600 and ensuring
the necessary supply of medicines and continuing vaccination. In a post on
Facebook, Florin Cîţu said he attended a meeting of the National Center for the
Management and Coordination of Interventions, to make sure patients and health
workers have everything they need to get through the third wave of the
pandemic. The Prime Minister said that, for the time being, Romania isn’t
reporting an alarming increase of the infection rate, but advised cautionary
preparations for a possible increase in the number of cases. The state of alert
on Sunday was extended for another 30 days in Romania. The measures adopted by
the Government to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic took effect on
Saturday at midnight. All restrictions imposed so far remain in place, with the
exception of the nighttime curfew, which now begins at 10 PM and ends at 5 AM.
Moreover, hotels and guesthouses in mountain resorts can only function at 70%
capacity. On the other hand, the vaccination campaign continues, with another
50,000 people immunized in the last 24 hours. On Monday, the campaign enters in
its third phase addressing the general population. Also on Monday people can
register on waiting lists on the online platform. On Sunday, some 4,400 new
infections were reported nationwide and another 44 related fatalities. Over
1,200 people are currently in intensive care.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Over 120 million
confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections have been reported globally so far, as well as
2.6 million deaths, the Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine in the United States
reports. Over 30 million infections and 546 thousand deaths have been reported
in the United States since the start of the pandemic. The second-most affected
country in the world is Brazil, with 11 million infections and 277 thousand
fatalities. In Europe, Great Britain has exceeded 125 thousand deaths, followed
by Italy with 102 thousand and France with over 80 thousand. The situation is
serious in the Republic of Moldova as well, where the Supreme Security Council
and President Maia Sandu recommended the Government to declare a state of
emergency amidst an alarming increase in the number of infections. In its
latest report, over 1,800 new infections were signaled in Moldova.

PARLIAMENT – The
Social-Democratic Party next week will file a no-confidence motion against
Economy Minister, Claudiu Năsui. Social-Democrats claim the minister adopted no
measures to support entrepreneurs, while insisting on selling stocks of
profitable state-owned companies. Minister Năsui says the motion was prompted
by the publication of contracts signed by the Ministry, and that disclosures
would continue. Parliament must also set a date on voting the EU’s system of
own funds. To pass the decision needs a third of the votes, and for the time
being the power and the opposition haven’t reached an agreement. The Social-Democratic
Party wants a debate in Parliament on the measures stipulated in the national
recovery and resilience plan.

STATISTICS – The value of total
goods that transited Romanian ports totaled 47.22 million tons, down by 11.1%
as compared to 2019, the National Institute for Statistics reports. The ports
with the highest volume of trade in 2020 were Constanţa, with 83.5% of total
trade, Midia with 9.6% and Galaţi with 5.1%. Most goods were inbound and
outbound to Russia and Turkey. Of all the other EU member States, Spain and
Greece reported the highest volume of transported goods. The transport of goods
via domestic waterways stood at 30.5 million tons, accounting for a drop of
8.2%.

ENERGY – Romania’s Energy
Minister, Virgil Popescu, on Monday and Tuesday will discuss with EU officials
plans for restructuring the Oltenia Energy Company (southern Romania). In
December, the Minister Popescu officially notified the European Commission
regarding plans to restructure the Company, which include financial assistance
from the state. On February 5, the European Commission announced the launch of
a comprehensive investigation of the state funding allotted to restructure the
company. The Oltenia Energy Company needs the approval of the European
Commission by the end of April in order to receive the funds which will be used
to pay carbon gas emission certificates for 2020 penalty-free.

BORDER POLICE – The Romanian
Border Police in Arad County, western Romania, have picked up 14 citizens from
Afghanistan and Pakistan, trying to cross into Hungary hidden in three
freighter trucks, driven by two Turkish nationals and one Bulgarian. The border
police have launched an investigation and have taken all the necessary measures
in this case.

FILM – The American Film
Academy on March 15 will announce the Oscar nominations for 2021. The film colectiv
directed by Alexandru Nanau is Romania’s proposal, selected in the best international
feature and best documentary sections. colectiv last month was shortlisted
for the 2021 Oscars. The film is also nominated for the 2021 BAFTA Awards in
the Best documentary section. The film tells the story of the first year after
the devastating fire at Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest of October 30, 2015,
which killed 64 people. (V.P.)

14 March 2021
March 14, 2021

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The state of alert
on Sunday was extended for another 30 days in Romania. The measures adopted by
the Government to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic took effect on Saturday
at midnight. All restrictions imposed so far remain in place, with the exception
of the nighttime curfew, which now begins at 10 PM and ends at 5 AM. Moreover, hotels
and guesthouses in mountain resorts can only function at 70% capacity. On the
other hand, the vaccination campaign continues, with another 50,000 people
immunized in the last 24 hours. On Monday, the campaign enters in its third
phase addressing the general population. Also on Monday people can register on
waiting lists on the online platform. On Sunday, some 4,400 new infections were
reported nationwide and another 44 related fatalities. Over 1,200 people are
currently in intensive care.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Over 120 million confirmed
SARS-CoV-2 infections have been reported globally so far, as well as 2.6
million deaths, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the United States
reports. Over 30 million infections and 546 thousand deaths have been reported
in the United States since the start of the pandemic. The second-most affected
country in the world is Brazil, with 11 million infections and 277 thousand
fatalities. In Europe, Great Britain has exceeded 125 thousand deaths, followed
by Italy with 102 thousand and France with over 90 thousand. The situation is
serious in the Republic of Moldova as well, where the Supreme Security Council and
President Maia Sandu recommended the Government to declare a state of emergency
amidst an alarming increase in the number of infections. In its latest report,
over 1,800 new infections were signaled in Moldova.

STATISTICS – The value of total
goods that transited Romanian ports totaled 47.22 million tons, down by 11.1%
as compared to 2019, the National Institute for Statistics reports. The ports
with the highest volume of trade in 2020 were Constanţa, with 83.5% of total
trade, Midia with 9.6% and Galaţi with 5.1%. Most goods were inbound and
outbound to Russia and Turkey. Of all the other EU member States, Spain and Greece
reported the highest volume of transported goods. The transport of goods via
domestic waterways stood at 30.5 million tons, accounting for a drop of 8.2%.

ENERGY – Romania’s Energy
Minister, Virgil Popescu, on Monday and Tuesday will discuss with EU officials plans
for restructuring the Oltenia Energy Company (southern Romania). In December,
the Minister Popescu officially notified the European Commission regarding
plans to restructure the Company, which include financial assistance from the
state. On February 5, the European Commission announced the launch of a
comprehensive investigation of the state funding allotted to restructure the
company. The Oltenia Energy Company needs the approval of the European Commission
by the end of April in order to receive the funds which will be used to pay carbon
gas emission certificates for 2020 penalty-free.

BORDER POLICE – The Romanian
Border Police in Arad County, western Romania, have picked up 14 citizens from
Afghanistan and Pakistan, trying to cross into Hungary hidden in three
freighter trucks, driven by two Turkish nationals and one Bulgarian. The border
police have launched an investigation and have taken all the necessary measures
in this case. (V.P.)

14 March 2021
February 26, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Starting
on Friday, the incidence rate of infections with the new coronavirus in Romania
will be calculated according to different rules, in the sense that outbreaks
will be introduced in the final analysis. Authorities say that the new rules
are in line with the international standards and other countries are doing the
same. According to the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed
Arafat, a slight increase in the incidence of COVID-19 cases is expected as a
result of the new approach. The new outbreaks that will be introduced in the
calculation of COVID-19 cases are reported mainly in hospitals and care
centers. In another development, some 3,700 new cases of people infected with
SARS-CoV-2 were reported within 24 hours after performing about 36 thousand
tests nationwide. In total, since the onset of the pandemic in Romania, almost
795 thousand cases have been registered. 90% of the Covid-19 patients have been
cured. The total number of deaths has exceeded 20,200. Friday marked one year
since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Romania. The first death from
coronavirus was officially reported in the country on March 22 last year.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD –Worldwide the number of cases of
Sars-Cov -2 infection has exceeded 113 million, and that of deaths 2.5 million.
According to worldometers.info, more than 89 million infected people have been
cured. Meanwhile, European countries have opted for voluntary vaccination
against Covid-19, although some of them, such as France, the United Kingdom or
Hungary, are examining potential certificates or passports to prove
it, international news agencies report. In Germany, coronavirus vaccination is
voluntary and the government has stressed that there are no plans to make it
mandatory. Vaccination is not mandatory in France either. However, the
government has launched an online consultation to find out citizens’ views on
the possibility of implementing a vaccination certificate and whether it should
be mandatory or optional. In the United Kingdom, which was the first country in
the world to launch a mass vaccination program against Covid-19, immunization
is widely accepted by the population. The vaccination plan in Italy is also
voluntary and started with the highest risk groups. For its part, the Austrian
Government insists that vaccination is and will be voluntary and that it has
not yet been decided, for example, whether it can be a condition for carrying
out an activity. The World Health Organization insists that the cure for the
pandemic is to speed up immunization, and the available vaccines promise an
effectiveness of about 90%. In another development, the European Medicines
Agency on Friday announced the antibody cocktail development by Regeneron can
be used in treating COVID patients. The United States adopted the product last
year for emergencies, President Donald Trump being one of the patients treated
with Regeneron.

BUDGET – The
Romanian Parliament’s budget-finance committees continued, on Friday, the
debates on the 2021 budget bill. The budgets of the main ministries have been
voted in the form proposed by the Government. None of the amendments tabled by
the opposition has been adopted. According to the calendar established by the
joint Permanent Bureaus, the joint sitting of the Chamber of Deputies and the
Senate on the state and social security budgets is scheduled for Monday. The
bill will get the final vote on Tuesday. The budget is based on a deficit
target of 7.16% of the GDP, and an economic growth rate of 4.31%.

SUMMIT –The EU heads of state and government,
including the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, on Friday attended a
virtual summit on security and defense. Referring to vaccination certificates,
President Iohannis said they can be used for medical purposes. EU leaders have
called for coordinated action to combat COVID-19 in Europe, but couldn’t solve
their disagreements over a possible vaccination passport. The Romanian
president hailed the European Commission’s efforts to deal with the pandemic,
both in terms of purchasing and distributing vaccines, as well as ensuring the
functioning of the single market. On the other hand, participants have
reiterated the EU’s firm commitment to cooperate closely with NATO and
strengthen partnerships with the UN and key regional partners. President
Iohannis pointed out Romania supports the implementation of the Union’s
initiatives in the field of healthcare and defense, at the same time ensuring
complementarity with NATO, which remains the foundation of collective defense
for allied states. Klaus Iohannis expressed his firm support for consolidating
political dialogue and for development the strategic partnership between the EU
and NATO, arguing the trans-Atlantic ties are key to EU security.

POSEIDON 21 – Some 700 soldiers, 13 military
ships, 9 aircraft, a pyrotechnic intervention vehicle and a remote-controlled
underwater robot will be deployed during the exercise ‘Poseidon 21’ organized
by the Romanian Naval Forces between February 26 and March 6. It is the first
multinational exercise in the Black Sea this year, and involves the
participation of forces and equipment from Bulgaria, France, Greece, Romania,
Spain, USA and Turkey. ‘Poseidon 21’ is an exercise with a high degree of
complexity, included in the NATO Training Program proposed by Romania at the
NATO Summit in Warsaw, in 2016, to strengthen security measures on the European
south-eastern flank, as well as to ensure a continuous presence in the Black
Sea region.

FORD – Due to the problems related to
the supply of semiconductors that affect a large part of the world car
industry, the Ford factory in Craiova (southwestern Romania) has suspended for
eight days the production of vehicles and engines. Production would resume on
March 10. The factory representatives have state that, in the eight days off
work, the employees will be paid according to the agreements concluded between
the company and the unions and taking into account the legislation in force.
This month, the Dacia factory, owned by the French group Renault, also stopped
production for five days in Mioveni (southern Romania). The crisis in the
automotive industry is expected to last a few more months and could lead to a
world production of over a million smaller cars this year. (M.I. & V.P.)

26 February 2021
February 25, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 ROMANIA – The Covid-19
vaccination campaign continues in Romania. 1.5 million doses have been used so
far to vaccinate some 850 thousand people, mostly with Pfizer/BioNTech. The
Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines have also been administered across the
country. The vaccination of education employees, through school inspectorates,
began on Wednesday in Bucharest and most counties. The whole procedure will
take until March 10 for the first dose of vaccine, and authorities estimate
that 60,000 people will be immunized during this period. So far, more than
42,000 teachers have already been vaccinated. On the other hand, almost 4,000
new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been reported today,
following about 37,000 tests run nationwide. In total, since the beginning of
the pandemic in Romania, over 790,000 cases have been registered, and about 90%
of the patients have been cured. The total number of deaths has exceeded 20
thousand.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The European
Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) on Thursday passed a
resolution calling for the issuance of vaccination certificates for EU citizens.
The document highlights a need for a new EU strategy on a safe, clean and more
sustainable tourism. MEPs want an EU-wide vaccination certificate, that could
become a viable alternative to PCR tests and quarantine measures, once there is
sufficient evidence vaccinated people don’t pass on the virus. Restrictions imposed to stop the spread of
coronavirus infection have caused deep recessions in 2020 in the European
Union, hitting in particular the south of the continent. In the world,
according to worldometers, at least 113 million people have been infected with
the new coronavirus so far. 2.5 million people have died and more than 88
million have been declared cured since the beginning of the pandemic a year
ago.

BUDGETS – The state and
social security draft budgets have reached Romania’s Parliament. Coalition
leaders agreed the MPs representing the three parties will not file amendments
and will endorse the bills as they were submitted by the Executive. From the
opposition, the Social Democratic Party criticizes this year’s austerity budget
and has prepared lots of amendments. However, there is little chance for
amendments to be accepted that will substantially change the two bills, because
Parliament has already voted on the Law regarding the ceilings that set the
financial constrains for the two budgets. This year, the deficit cannot exceed
7.16% of the GDP, and personnel costs will have to stay below 9.8%. Most
ministries have been allotted a higher budget than in 2020, so the idea of an
austerity budget is out of the question, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare said
on Tuesday. The plenary vote on the two draft budgets is scheduled for next
Tuesday.

HOSPITALITY – The principle of
‘first come, first served’ has been removed from the Government Emergency
Ordinance on support measures for HoReCa companies, the Minister of Economy,
Entrepreneurship and Tourism, Claudiu Năsui, said on Thursday. He has stressed
that, following the removal of this principle, all eligible applicants,
regardless of when they applied, will receive funding. The Minister of Economy
has also stated that this aid scheme is based on a budget of one billion lei
(approx. 200 million euros) and benefits the HoReCa sector in the form of
grants in the amount of 20% of the calculation base, without exceeding 800,000
euro per enterprise. HoReCa entrepreneurs have repeatedly called for the
situation of restaurants to stop being decided depending on the COVID incidence
rate. They recalled that the industry is on the verge of bankruptcy.

EUROPOL – The EUROPOL on
Thursday announced that, as a result of searches conducted in France, Romania
and the Republic of Moldova, law enforcement officers in these countries
arrested 38 people suspected of being part of a human trafficking network
exploiting people on construction sites. According to the EUROPOL’s website,
the criminal network smuggled and registered Moldovan workers in France with
fake IDs, while keeping their real passports as guarantees. An investigation by the French Border Police as part
of the National Police, the Romanian Police and the Moldovan Police, supported
by Europol and Eurojust, led officers to dismantle an organized crime group
involved in migrant smuggling, human trafficking for labor exploitation,
document fraud, social benefit fraud and money laundering. The
investigation into the criminal network started in 2018 when officers in France
intercepted a van transporting ten irregular migrants. They were Moldovan
nationals and a number of them had counterfeit Romanian identity cards. The
criminal group, organized by a Romanian national living in France, smuggled at
least 40 Moldovan nationals to exploit them in the construction business in
France. This activity was extremely lucrative, with illegal profits estimated
at almost €14 million. Large construction and
renovation companies were also involved in the criminal scheme. The suspects
laundered the criminal assets through eight shell companies, most of them based
in France.

SCHOLARSHIPS – Starting next year, Romania will be
granting 100 scholarships to young students from Belarus eager to enroll in
higher education institutions in Romania. The scholarships will address BA, MA
or doctoral school programmes with teaching in Romania or an
internationally-spoken language. This initiative allows Belarusian students,
including those expelled for political reasons or who consider themselves
threatened by Minsk authorities, to further their studies in prestigious universities
in Romania. Through this decision Romania wants to contribute to supporting the
efforts of Belarusian civil society, thus meeting national and European foreign
policy goals, the Foreign Ministry reports. (M.I. & V.P.)

25 February 2021
February 24, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The vaccination of education
employees, through school inspectorates, stared on Wednesday in Bucharest and
most counties in Romania. The whole procedure will take until March 10 for the
first dose of vaccine, and authorities estimate that 60,000 people will be
immunized during this period. So far, more than 42,000 teachers have already
been vaccinated through the specially created national online platform.
Meanwhile, about 80,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine have arrived in the
country on Wednesday, which will be stored to ensure boosters for those already
vaccinated with the first dose. Since the start of the vaccination campaign in
Romania on December 27, a total of almost 2 million doses of vaccine have been
received, most of them from Pfizer. The serum from AstraZeneca has also been
administered in Romania for about ten days now. 3,300 new cases of coronavirus
infection were reported on Wednesday, following some 34,000 tests run at
national level. Another 73 related deaths have also been reported, and 1000
people are in intensive care.

COVID-19
IN THE WORLD – Worldwide,
more than 112 million people have been infected with the new coronavirus since
the beginning of the pandemic, more than a year ago. About 88 million have been
cured, and nearly 2.5 million have died. The World Health Organization has
announced that the death toll has fallen for three consecutive weeks, and the
number of confirmed cases of coronavirus has also continued to decline.
Meanwhile, European countries are making plans to ease restrictions and resume activities,
but are acting cautiously against the more contagious strains of the new
coronavirus. The European Commission has called on Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
Germany, Hungary and Sweden to drop restrictive measures imposed unilaterally
at the borders. The six states have ten days to justify the restrictions. In
order to curb the spread of the new variants, Italy is isolating more and more
localities. For its part, France has for the first time taken the measure of
territorial isolation of the population.

EUROPEAN
COUNCIL – Romania’s
President, Klaus Iohannis, on Thursday and Friday is attending the
extraordinary meeting of the European Council, held in videoconference format,
the presidency reports. The agenda for talks includes elements pertaining to
the coordination of the European Union in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
and actions in the healthcare sector. Moreover, EU leaders will tackle topics
in the field of security and defense, especially EU-wide cooperation and
EU-NATO complementarity and aspects related to the Southern Vicinity of the
European Union.

BUDGET –The specialized committees of
Romania’s parliament will start debates on the state and social security
budgets for 2021 on Thursday afternoon, during which the parliamentary groups
can submit amendments to the draft drawn up by the Government. The discussions
in the committees are expected to be completed by Saturday, and the vote in
plenary on the two documents to take place next Tuesday. The draft law for
approving the ceilings, which must be adopted before the state budget, will
also be debated and voted according to a tight calendar. The document was
endorsed by the Senate and on Wednesday was voted by the Chamber of Deputies,
the decision-making body on this matter. The ceilings bill sets the caps on
deficits and staff expenditure. The document stipulates that the ceiling of the
budget deficit will be 7.16% of the GDP this year, and personnel spending will
stand at 9.8%.

PROTESTS – Trade union protests continue
in Romania. On Wednesday, protests organized by the PUBLISIND Federation,
affiliated to the National Trade Union Bloc, were staged in Bucharest and in
the country’s prefectures against the freezing of salaries and bonuses, the
non-indexation of pensions against inflation, and the lack of a minimum wage
increase correlated with rising prices. PUBLISIND has members from the police,
border and penitentiary police, central and local public administration, social
assistance, court registry, sports and youth, finance and financial or environmental
control. Also on Wednesday, the Meridian National Trade Union Confederation and
the Federation of Railway Transport Trade Unions in Romania protested in front
of the transport ministry headquarters. Meanwhile, the miners who blocked
themselves in the underground of the Lupeni coal mine, in the Jiu Valley
(center-west), ended the protest that had started six days earlier, after they
were informed about the provisions of the agreement, concluded by their leaders
and the Ministry of Labour, under which they will receive all outstanding
salaries and other benefits they are entitled to. Prime Minister Florin Cîţu
said the Government has adopted a decision whereby all the payments stipulated in
the collective employment agreement, tantamount to some €2.25 million, will be
paid.

SPECIAL PENSIONS – President Klaus Iohannis has
promulgated the law eliminating the special pensions for senators and deputies.
The law was endorsed by Parliament last week. All parties, except the
Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians, which abstained, voted in favour of the
bill initiated by the Social Democratic Party to eliminate special pensions.
The President of the Chamber of Deputies, Ludovic Orban, has stated that this
is just the first step. We will have to fearlessly attack all the
legislation in the field, in order to eventually make sure that all pensions in
Romania are established based on the principle of contribution, Ludovic
Orban said. 800 former MPs benefit from these special pensions, amounting to
some €10 million a year, paid from the state budget.

POSEIDON 21 – Over 700 soldiers, 13 military
ships, 9 aircraft, a pyrotechnic intervention truck and a remote-controlled
underwater robot will be deployed during the ‘Poseidon 21’ exercise organized
by the Romanian Naval Forces between February 26 and March 6. It is the first
multinational exercise in 2021 in the Black Sea. Forces and means from
Bulgaria, France, Greece, Romania, Spain, USA and Turkey will participate. With
a high degree of complexity, ‘Poseidon 21’ is included in the NATO Training
Program proposed by Romania at the NATO Summit in Warsaw, in 2016, to strengthen
security measures on the European south-eastern flank, as well as to ensure a
continuous presence in the Black Sea region. (M.I. & V.P.)

24 February 2021
February 23, 2021

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The anti-COVID-19
vaccination campaign continues in Romania. According to the National Committee
for Coordinating Vaccination Activities, some 820 thousand people have been
immunized, the total number of dozes administered so far exceeding 1.4 million.
Most people have received the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine. Other vaccines being
administered in Romania right now are those developed by Moderna and
AstraZeneca. A new batch of 200,000 Pfizer shots reached Romania on Monday. On
Tuesday, the Group for Strategic Communication announced another 3,382 COVID
infections reported in the last 24 hours and 119 related fatalities. The total
number of infections has exceeded 784 thousand since the start of the pandemic.
Over 20,000 people have died to the virus in Romania.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The total number
of COVID-related deaths has exceed 500 thousand in the United States. President
Joe Biden ordered flags be flown at half-mast on federal buildings for five
days as a tribute paid to all the people who’ve died since the start of the
pandemic a year ago. According to the latest worldometers.info update, over 112
million infections have been confirmed so far in the world, and 2.5 million
people have died. Over 87 million people have recovered. Meanwhile, European
states are stepping up efforts to prevent the new COVID strains from spreading.
Germany currently fears a third wave of the pandemic amidst plans to ease some
of the restrictions recently introduced. Italy has announced an extension of
restrictions on travel between regions until March 27 due to an increase in the
infection rate. In turn, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a
timetable for lifting the hard lockdown in this country in an effort to restart
the British economy.

VIDEOCONFERENCE – Romania’s
President, Klaus Iohannis, is today attending a videoconference with European
Council President, Charles Michel, and other EU leaders, ahead of the European
Council meeting of February 25-26. In two days, European Council members will
meet online to discuss the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a common
response to health, security and defense threats. EU leaders will review
epidemiological developments. As regards security and defense, they will hold a
strategic debate on European policies in these fields. High on the agenda are
also actions to boost EU resilience, especially against cyber-attacks and
hybrid threats. Participants will also approach EU relations with states in the
southern vicinity. In December, 2020, EU leaders underlined that a democratic,
more stable, greener and more prosperous southern vicinity is a strategic
priority for the EU.

BUDGET – The draft state
and social security budgets for 2021 are due to arrive later today in
Parliament, after the Government operated several last-minute changes on Monday.
The timetable for debating and voting the laws will be accelerated, as the
ruling coalition want the budgets to be adopted by early next week at the
latest. Coalition leaders agreed not to table any amendments. The
Social-Democratic Party in opposition, on the other hand, has accused the
Government of proposing an austerity budget amidst an economic crisis generated
by the pandemic and said it is preparing thousands of amendments.

PROTESTS – Representatives of
the Sanitas Federation of trade unions are today staging a protest before the
Parliament in Bucharest, calling on Romanian MPs to modify the 2021 budget law
so that both the beneficiaries of healthcare services, as well as health
workers should have access to quality healthcare services of European
standards. The Sanitas Federation announced it would continue its series of protest
actions until its demands are met. Also today other protests are organized in
Bucharest by representatives of the National Federation of Trade Unions in Law
Enforcement, who are in turn criticizing the Government’s salary policies.

SANCTIONS – The Russian
Foreign Ministry believes the new sanctions the EU is considering to introduce
against Russia are illegal and a source of disappointment. EU Foreign Ministers
on Monday agreed to introduce sanctions against four high-ranking Russian
officials close to president Vladimir Putin. The measure is tied to the arrest
and investigation of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and follows Brussels’
repeated pleas for the observance of human rights in Russia.

FOOTBALL – Atletico Madrid is
taking on Chelsea London tonight on National Arena stadium in Bucharest in the
first leg of the Champions League round of 16. The match will be played in
front of empty stands. With over 54,000 seating capacity, the stadium will be
hosting matches counting towards EURO 2020, due to kick off in four months.
National Arena will also be hosting matches in the U21 European Championship in
2023. The stadium hosted the Europa League final in 2012, which Atletico Madrid
won against Athletic Bilbao. (V.P.)

23 February 2021
January 29, 2021

FIRE – A fire broke out on Friday morning at the Matei
Balş Institute for Infectious Disease in Romania, killing five patients.
Several wards burned down in the fire and heavy smoke spread throughout the
building. 120 patients were evacuated and transferred to other medical units.
So far the cause of the fire remains unknown, but prosecutors have launched a
manslaughter investigation. Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has conveyed his
condolences to the families of the victims and said all the measures are being
taken to bring the situation under control. The Prime Minister’s Office inquiry
team is already conducting its own investigation. Senate Speaker Anca Dragu
said the fire is a tragedy that cannot remain without consequence, adding that,
once the cause of the fire is ascertained, swift actions are needed to right
the wrongs in the healthcare sector. Social-Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu said
he felt shocked, heartbroken and appalled with the Government’s lack of action
to make sure the tragedy at Piatra Neamţ must not happen again. We recall
another fire broke out in November at an IC unit at the Piatra Neamţ Emergency
County Hospital which killed 10 people.

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Romania’s national vaccination campaign is in full
swing, with over 534 thousand people immunized so far. Health Minister Vlad
Voiculescu has announced Romania is facing a shortage of vaccine doses. The
Minister also said certain centers, which immunized people from outside the
eligible categories, are to face sanctions. 2,737 new infections were announced
on Friday in addition to 91 COVID-related fatalities. Since the outbreak, over
724 thousand people have got infected in Romania and more than 18 thousand
died. About one thousand people are currently being treated in IC units.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The infection rate remains high on the continent,
putting pressure on medical systems, which is why a relaxation of restrictions
would be premature, the WHO Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, has said. The WHO
official believes the high rates of infection and the emergence of new strains
of the coronavirus have stressed the need for urgently immunizing top-priority
categories of people, but the rate of production and distribution of vaccines
has fallen short of expectations, for the time being. The vaccination process
has started in 35 European states, Director Kluge argues, and some 25 million
shots have already been administered. The UK is the first European country to
start a national anti-COVID vaccination campaign. In other states, such as the
Seychelles, Iceland or Cyprus, authorities announced they would renounce
testing and quarantine for travellers who present an international vaccine
certificate. Over 102 million infections have been reported globally since the
start of the epidemic and over 2.2 million people have died to the virus, the
latest worldometers.info update reveals.

EPPO – The Romanian
Justice Ministry today is announcing the candidates it selected for the
position of EPPO delegate prosecutor in Romania. The prosecutors will be
working for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in their home
countries and will have the same responsibilities as national prosecutors in
terms of investigations, criminal actions and prosecution. The EPPO will also investigate
fraud and other crimes infringing on the EU’s financial interests. EPPO will
also be investigating crimes with EU-wide effects or crimes perpetrated by
civil servants or members of European institutions. We recall Romanian Laura Codruța Kovesi is the head of the European
Public Prosecutor’s Office.

MOLDOVA – A Romanian delegation on Thursday discussed with
Moldovan authorities in Chişinău about technical and legal proceedings needed
to deliver the batch of anti-COVID-19 vaccine to Moldova. The batch totals
200,000 doses, in addition to medical and protection equipment required to
treat the infected. The assistance package offered by Romania has been
announced by President Klaus Iohannis during last month’s visit to the Republic
of Moldova.

NAVALNY – A Russian court has ruled against the appeal lodged
by Russian opposition leader, Alexey Navalny, who demanded his release from
prison. A vehement critic of President Vladimir Putin, Navalny took the
opportunity to warn the Kremlin, whom he accuses of attempting to assassinate
him after poisoning him last year. The police has searched the apartments and
offices of people close to Navalny, detaining several people, including
Navalny’s brother and his associates. Alexey Navalny was arrested on January 17
at the airport shortly after his arrival from Germany, where he was
hospitalized and treated for Novichok poisoning. The Russian authorities have
denied any involvement in his attempted assassination. The United States
requested Navalny be released. (V. Palcu)

29 January 2021
January 28, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA -
Romania’s national vaccination campaign is in full swing, with over 534
thousand people immunized so far. Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu has announced
that certain centers, which immunized people from outside the eligible
categories, are to face sanctions. In turn, Education Minister Sorin Cîmpeanu says that the personnel in
the country’s education system will benefit from a special immunization line,
adding that the evolution of the infection rate is decisive in the decision to
bring students back to school again. Last week, Romania received only half of
the doses requested and now has a deficit of 117 thousand. Over 2,900 new infections
were announced on Thursday. Since the outbreak, 721 thousand people have got
infected in Romania and more than 18 thousand died. About one thousand people
are currently being treated in IC units.

PANDEMIC – Europe’s
concern about the novel strains of the Covid-19 virus is on the rise. The UK
announced it can resort to additional prevention measures, including the
isolation of visitors in hotels made available by the authorities. With six
million, Britain boasts the highest number of people immunized so far. Norway
is expected to close its borders for all visitors, with the exception of those
essential, applying some of the toughest prevention measures in Europe. The
country, which is not an EU member, has announced these restrictions after the
discovery of an outbreak of the more contagious strain initially identified in
Britain. The government in Berlin is considering the cancellation of almost all
international flights in order to prevent the spreading of the mutating virus.
In Portugal, the government decided to cancel all the flights towards Brazil
starting this Friday, due to the growing number of infections. The new strain, initially
discovered in Britain, has also been detected in another 70 countries, the WHO
says. According to worldmeters.info, over 101 million infections have been
registered worldwide so far and at least 2.1 million people have died.

PROTEST – Members
of the Medical Solidarity Trade Union Federation on Thursday protested in
Bucharest, calling for protection measures for the workers in Romania’s medical
field after 93 professionals in this field have so far died in the line of
duty. Besides legal rights, other claims are focusing on various forms of
recognizing the efforts and sacrifices made by the medical personnel. According
to unionists, protests have also been caused by the government’s refusal to
participate in a social dialogue. Also on Thursday, in Iasi, north-eastern
Romania, trade unionists from the country’s penitentiary system protested over a
planned wage freeze in the sector. Protesters have called for the elimination
of unequal pay in the public system, the implementation of the pay law in
state-owned institutions and a minimum wage adjusted to the latest price hikes
in consumer goods.

SCHENGEN -
Romania is ready to become a Schengen member as soon as possible, Interior
Minister Lucian Bode said on Thursday on the sidelines of a videoconference of
the informal Justice and Home Affairs Council. Minister Bode called for
stepping up discussions in this matter, underlining the important contribution
Bucharest has made to common efforts to manage migration, by means of constant
participation to FRONTEX activities, by means of actions to relocate people in
need of international assistance in the wake of search and rescue operations in
the Mediterranean. Originally slated for March 2011, Romania’s Schengen
accession was repeatedly postponed due to opposition voiced by Member States
regarding insufficient reforms in the justice sector.

PENSIONS -
The Labor Ministry on Thursday started a large-scale assessment of the 5
million pensions in the public system by means of an EU-funded project that will
last 18 months. According to Labor Minister Raluca Turcan, based on this
assessment and on an upcoming law, a recalculation of pensions will follow.
Minister Turcan says discussions regarding a new pension law, which should
include a new formula for calculating pensions, will start within the month.
The last recalculation was operated in the 2005-2010 period. In other news,
children’s allowances will go up 20% starting February 1. Children aged 2-18
will receive some €44 per month. Children up to 2 years of age and those with
disabilities will receive €90 per month.

CORRUPTION -
Romania is one of the most corrupt countries in the EU, being bottom of a
ranking, the same as Hungary and Bulgaria, according to a Transparency
International report on the 2020 Corruption Perception Index. The ranking
reflects the perception of independent experts and businessmen on existing
corruption. Romania has a score of 44 points of a 100, the same as in 2012,
which, according to experts, indicate that the measures taken in the last 10
years have not been consistent, failing to change public perception on
corruption. The lack of transparency on public procurement, the underfunding of
the medical system, the lack of consistent measures to digitize administrative
processes are all constant issues at national level, which have only gotten
worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Romanian society, the report also shows,
has also lost its eagerness in sanctioning corruption and the lack of
integrity. (V.
Palcu)

28 January 2021