Radio România Internațional

Tag: vaccination marathons

May 31, 2021

COVID-19 -
The largest batch of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine will reach Romania today,
totaling 1.1 million doses. The vaccine may now be administered to children
aged 12-15, after the European Medicines Agency greenlit the vaccine as safe
for this age bracket. Since the start of the vaccination campaign at the end of
2020, over 4.3 million people got vaccinated against COVID-19, three quarters of
whom with both shots. Last weekend saw new vaccination marathons across the
country. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 infections continues to drop. All counties
are reporting an incidence rate below 1 per thousand inhabitants in the last 14
days. On Monday, the Group for strategic communication announced the lowest
number of infections reported in the last 24 hours since the start of the
pandemic – 153. Another 36 related fatalities have also been reported. 425
people are still in intensive care.

MEASURES -
Starting June 1 the Government is easing a number of COVID-related
restrictions. Private parties with a limited number of attendants are allowed
again, while sports events will resume in enclosed spaces as well. Clubs,
nightclubs, as well as interior playgrounds and pools will also reopen. The
number of participants can exceed the maximum allowed provided all participants
are vaccinated. Outdoor cultural events are also permitted with a maximum of
1,000 participants, provided the incidence rate is below 3 per thousand
inhabitants. Face masks can also be eliminated in workplaces with a maximum of
5 employees allowed in each office, provided they are vaccinated.

PNRR – Romania’s
National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) might be submitted to the European
Commission today, as announced by Cristian Ghinea, the Minister of Investments
and European Projects. 30 separate documents for each of the Plan’s sections
will be uploaded to the Commission’s digital platform. After the Commission
rejected the first draft submitted by the Romanian Government, the revised Plan
will be made public on June 2, Romania being one the few countries at EU level
to do this, Minister Ghinea explains. Liberal Prime Minister Florin
Cîţu said the document has already been presented in Parliament’s specialised
committees, while experts from the Social-Democratic Party in opposition have
seen the final draft. Social-Democrat leader Marcel Ciolacu expressed
disapointment that the plan hasn’t been discussed in detail and claimed the
reforms and funds alloted to SMEs are unknown. Romania will receive nearly €30
million Euro under its National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

INQUIRY – Interior Minister Lucian Bode said Romania is a safe
country, and the assassination in Arad is an isolated case. The Romanian
official promised the culprits will be brought to justice. On Saturday, a known
businessman in Arad died after his car exploded. The Prosecutor General’s
Office has taken lead in the inquiry. Arad County Prefect, Tóth Csaba, has
ordered additional measures to maintain public order. The businessman owned one
of the few African salmon farms in Eastern Europe outside Arad.

EPPO – The
European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the EU’s new anti-fraud prosecution
body, starts its activity on June 1, under the leadership of former head of the
Romanian Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), Laura Codruţa Kövesi. According to estimates,
corruption, embezzlement and fraud are causing losses of some €500 million
every year in the EU budget. Starting June 1, European prosecutors will take
action against criminal activities of this kind and will make sure no funds are
wasted due to corruption and fraud, European Commissioner for Values and Transparency,
Věra Jourová, has said. Charged with identifying and investigating corruption
cases, EPPO will have an annual budget of €45 million. Five EU member states
have refused to take part in the EPPO.

NATO – NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, is today paying
a visit to Romania, accompanied by the president of the NATO Military
Commission, General Stuart Peach. Mircea Geoană’s agenda is very busy,
including a visit to the NATO Multinational Division Southeast, which is taking
part in the NATO Steadfast Defender 21 multinational exercise. Mircea Geoană
will meet with Romania’s Defense Minister, Nicolae Ciucă and with Chief of
General Staff, Daniel Petrescu. The NATO official will also attend the Black
Sea Atlantic Security Council, hosted by Aspen Institute – Romania. During his
visit Mircea Geoană will open the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center, alongside
Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, and EU
Commissioner for Inter-institutional relations and forecast, Maros Sefcovic,
the vice-president of the European Commission.

ROLAND GARROS
– Three Romanian tennis players are today playing in the first round at Roland
Garros, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Irina Begu will take on
Serena Williams of the United States, the tournament’s seventh seed. Sorana
Cîrstea will go up against Johanna Konta of Great Britain, while Mihaela
Buzărnescu will play Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands. On Tuesday, Irina Bara
will go up against Astra Sharma of Australia. We recall Ana Bogdan has advanced
to the second round, where she will take on Naomi Osaka of Japan, world no. 2,
who in the first round knocked out another Romanian, Patricia Tig. Simona
Halep, world no. 3 and the winner of Roland Garros in 2018, will not take part
in the tournament due to an injury. (VP)

31 May 2021
May 29, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – New vaccination marathons are being held this weekend in
Romania. In Bucharest, the marathon addresses people who took the first
anti-COVID shot three weeks ago as well as people who want to take the first
shot. A vaccination caravan will travel to markets and crowded areas in Brasov.
In Petrosani, people can get vaccinated in drive-through centers. Nearly 70,000
people got vaccinated in Romania in the last 24 hours. Since the start of the
pandemic, over 4.2 million people got vaccinated, of whom 3.5 with both shots
of the vaccine. The number of COVID-19 infections continues to drop in Romania.
265 new infections were reported on Saturday, in addition to 73 related
fatalities. 452 people are in intensive care.

PFIZER – Children aged 12-15 can get the anti-COVID vaccine
developed by Pfizer / BioNTech. The European Medicines Agency on Friday
authorized the vaccine as safe for use by children in this age bracket. Romania
is expected to make the first appointments starting next week, the president of
the national commission for coordinating the vaccination campaign, Dr. Valeriu
Gheorghiţă. This is the first vaccine greenlit for immunizing teenagers
in the 27 EU member states. Tests carried out at EU level show that the vaccine
has 100% efficiency for young people. The European Medicines Agency has
recommended each member state should decide when and how to administer the
vaccine.

NATO -
NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, on Monday is paying a visit to
Romania, accompanied by the president of the NATO Military Commission, General
Stuart Peach. Mircea Geoană’s agenda is very busy, including a visit to the
NATO Multinational Division Southeast, which is taking part in the NATO
Steadfast Defender 21 multinational exercise. Mircea Geoană will meet with
Romania’s Defense Minister, Nicolae Ciucă and with Chief of General Staff, Daniel
Petrescu. The NATO official will also attend the Black Sea Atlantic Security
Council, hosted by Aspen Institute – Romania. During his visit Mircea Geoană
will open the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center, alongside Romania’s president,
Klaus Iohannis, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, and EU Commissioner for
Inter-institutional relations and forecast, Maros Sefcovic, the vice-president
of the European Commission.

DONATION -
Romania has donated 40 tons of humanitarian aid to the city of Cernăuţi
(Ukraine), with a total worth of €1.2 million, designed to help combat the
COVID-19 pandemic. The donation includes protection equipment for health
workers: masks, gowns, head protection gear and disinfectants. Secretary of
State with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Dan Neculăescu, attended the donation
ceremony, pointed out that the coronavirus pandemic is a common global
challenge that has no geographic barriers. In turn, Ukraine’s deputy Foreign Minister,
Vasil Bodnar, said that the humanitarian aid for Ukraine is a strong signal of
solidarity from a country that is not just our neighbor, but an important
member of the European Union and NATO.

ROMANIANS
– The Romanian Patriarchate on Saturday conveyed a message of unity to all
Romanians in the Diaspora, ahead of the Day of Romanians Worldwide, to be
marked on Sunday. We urge all Romanians living outside Romania to keep in touch
with their loved ones back home, to keep the family and Romanian community
united, Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch Daniel has said. Under a 2015 piece
of legislation, the Day of Romanians Worldwide is celebrated on the last Sunday
of May. In the last decade, the Romanian Patriarchate has founded numerous
parishes for Romanian Orthodox Christians living in the Republic of Moldova,
Northern Bukovina, Serbia, Bulgaria and Hungary. Churches have also been opened
in Western Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand, the Holy Land, Cyprus,
Turkey, South Africa and Japan.

IMF -
The IMF estimates an economic growth for Romania of 7% this year, 3% over the
initial estimate. The budget deficit forecast has also dropped to 6.8% compared
to the initial estimate of 7.2%. The IMF confirms Romania has the largest
economic growth in the EU, Prime Minister Florin Cîţu writes on his Facebook
page. According to the Prime Minister, the effects of implemented reforms are
starting to show, and the best period for Romanians is yet to come.

TENNIS – Tennis player
Sorana Cîrstea (61 WTA) on Saturday lost to Barbora Krejcikova of the
Czech Republic (38 WTA) in the final of the WTA tournament in Strasbourg, 6-3,
6-3. Cîrstea played Krejcikova twice before, the Romanian winning in 2020 in
Dubai and losing in 2017 in Nurnberg. This is Cîrstea’s sixth final, after the titles
won in 2008 in Tashkent and last month in Istanbul, and the finals played in Budapest
in 2007, Toronto in 2013 and Tashkent in 2019. (VP)

29 May 2021
May 29, 2021

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – New vaccination marathons are being held this weekend in
Romania. In Bucharest, the marathon addresses people who took the first
anti-COVID shot three weeks ago as well as people who want to take the first
shot. A vaccination caravan will travel to markets and crowded areas in Brasov.
In Petrosani, people can get vaccinated in drive-through centers. Nearly 70,000
people got vaccinated in Romania in the last 24 hours. Since the start of the
pandemic, over 4.2 million people got vaccinated, of whom 3.5 with both shots
of the vaccine. The number of COVID-19 infections continues to drop in Romania.
265 new infections were reported on Saturday, in addition to 73 related
fatalities. 452 people are in intensive care.

PFIZER – Children aged 12-15 can get the anti-COVID vaccine
developed by Pfizer / BioNTech. The European Medicines Agency on Friday
authorized the vaccine as safe for use by children in this age bracket. Romania
is expected to make the first appointments starting next week, the president of
the national commission for coordinating the vaccination campaign, Dr. Valeriu
Gheorghiţă. This is the first vaccine greenlit for immunizing teenagers
in the 27 EU member states. Tests carried out at EU level show that the vaccine
has 100% efficiency for young people. The European Medicines Agency has
recommended each member state should decide when and how to administer the
vaccine.

NATO -
NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, on Monday is paying a visit to
Romania, accompanied by the president of the NATO Military Commission, General
Stuart Peach. Mircea Geoană’s agenda is very busy, including a visit to the
NATO Multinational Division Southeast, which is taking part in the NATO
Steadfast Defender 21 multinational exercise. Mircea Geoană will meet with
Romania’s Defense Minister, Nicolae Ciucă and with Chief of General Staff,
Daniel Petrescu. The NATO official will also attend the Black Sea Atlantic
Security Council, hosted by Aspen Institute – Romania. During his visit Mircea
Geoană will open the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center, alongside Romania’s
president, Klaus Iohannis, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, and EU Commissioner
for Inter-institutional relations and forecast, Maros Sefcovic, the
vice-president of the European Commission.

DONATION -
Romania has donated 40 tons of humanitarian aid to the city of Cernăuţi
(Ukraine), with a total worth of €1.2 million, designed to help combat the
COVID-19 pandemic. The donation includes protection equipment for health
workers: masks, gowns, head protection gear and disinfectants. Secretary of
State with the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Dan Neculăescu, attended the donation
ceremony, pointed out that the coronavirus pandemic is a common global
challenge that has no geographic barriers. In turn, Ukraine’s deputy Foreign Minister,
Vasil Bodnar, said that the humanitarian aid for Ukraine is a strong signal of
solidarity from a country that is not just our neighbor, but an important
member of the European Union and NATO.

ROMANIANS
– The Romanian Patriarchate on Saturday conveyed a message of unity to all
Romanians in the Diaspora, ahead of the Day of Romanians Worldwide, to be
marked on Sunday. We urge all Romanians living outside Romania to keep in touch
with their loved ones back home, to keep the family and Romanian community
united, Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch Daniel has said. Under a 2015 piece
of legislation, the Day of Romanians Worldwide is celebrated on the last Sunday
of May. In the last decade, the Romanian Patriarchate has founded numerous
parishes for Romanian Orthodox Christians living in the Republic of Moldova,
Northern Bukovina, Serbia, Bulgaria and Hungary. Churches have also been opened
in Western Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand, the Holy Land, Cyprus,
Turkey, South Africa and Japan.

IMF -
The IMF estimates an economic growth for Romania of 7% this year, 3% over the
initial estimate. The budget deficit forecast has also dropped to 6.8% compared
to the initial estimate of 7.2%. The IMF confirms Romania has the largest
economic growth in the EU, Prime Minister Florin Cîţu writes on his Facebook
page. According to the Prime Minister, the effects of implemented reforms are
starting to show, and the best period for Romanians is yet to come. (VP)

29 May 2021
Vaccination marathons continue

Romania on
Sunday exceeded 6 million doses of vaccines administered since the start of the
anti-COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the authorities have announced. Every day
this weekend, over 100 thousand people got vaccination. Bucharest hosted a
three-day marathon, labeled a success by the Health Ministry. So far Romania
has over 3.6 million people who’ve taken at least one shot of the vaccine.
Still, it is unclear if the 5 million target set by the authorities will be fulfilled
by June 1, when a further ease of restrictions is expected. According to Health
Minister Ioana Mihăilă, the mark could be
hit in mid-June. The Romanian official again called on family physicians to get
involved in the national vaccination campaign. So far, a little over 3,500
vaccines have been administered by family physicians. Drive-through vaccination
centers are extremely sought-after, as well as appointment-free vaccination
events. Some 1,200 volunteers took part in the vaccination marathon in
Bucharest, including doctors, medical nurses, resident doctors and medical students.
A number of well-established doctors got involved, including pediatrician Mihai
Craiu, the coordinator of the one of the two centers that hosted the vaccination
marathon in Bucharest. People want to get immunized for two reasons, Dr. Mihai
Craiu said.

I’ve talked to the people and they hope
to get antibodies after getting the vaccine, which will bring them the possibility
and peace of mind of meeting their family members. There are a lot of senior
citizens who’ve told me, on the verge of tears, that they haven’t been able to
see their children, their grandchildren, because they were scared not to get
sick. They haven’t been able to travel to the places where their kids work, because
PCR tests are quite expensive when compared to the average pension in Romania. The
second reason, and I’m referring to young people in particular, since I’ve
vaccinated a lot of teenagers who came accompanied by their parents, who signed
the consent forms, is that they want to go camping again, to travel, to hang
out in parks and see each other smile again, things that haven’t been possible
in the last year.

Appointment-free vaccination is now
available in all vaccination centers in the country. The number of
drive-through centers has also increased, and the authorities are planning
other marathon-like vaccination events in the coming period. In Craiova, a
vaccination marathon has kicked off and will last 8 days. Similar events will be
held this weekend in Iaşi, Cluj-Napoca, Târgu Mureş, Constanţa, Petroşani or
Ploieşti. One of the organizers of the first vaccination marathon in Romania,
held in Timişoara, Dr. Dorel Săndesc, said that people who come to get their
second shot will also benefit from a free-of-charge general screening, and will
undergo tests to identify the presence of chronic illnesses in at-risk
categories. (V.P.)

10 May 2021