Anti-pandemic measures will be relaxed according to plan
The coronavirus pandemic in Romania has been on a downward trend lately, which allows more relaxation measures
Eugen Coroianu, 26.05.2021, 13:50
At the next Government meeting, the relaxation measures to be applied starting June 1 will be adopted, the Romanian Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has announced, mentioning that there is no reason not to go further with the phased lifting of restrictions. He said he had talks with those directly affected and, as a result, some measures will be improved.Cîţu has stressed, again, that the goal of the vaccination campaign is to eliminate the pandemic and mentioned the very good figures regarding the infection rates.
The head of government has also stated that the vaccination has shown results, and the third wave of Covid 19 has disappeared. Indeed, the pandemic has been on a downward trend in Romania lately. The capital and all counties now have infection rates below one case per one thousand inhabitants. The pressure on hospitals has also decreased, with only a third of the number of patients being admitted to intensive care as compared to the peak period. However, the number of daily deaths associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection remains high. More than 30,000 Romanians have lost their lives since the beginning of the pandemic.
The vaccination campaign has gone well in big cities, Bucharest being the leader with over 43% of people over 16 immunized. It is followed by Cluj County (northwest) with about 40%. The counties with the lowest vaccination rates, between 15 and 17%, are Suceava and Botosani (northeast), Giurgiu (south) and Bacau (east). Immunization through less conventional methods, hoping to attract as many people as possible, has also been used. Thus, the Ministry of Culture, through the ‘Marin Sorescu’ National Theater in Craiova (south) and the Bucharest National Library, will resume, starting Friday, vaccination marathons, and in Iasi (east), through the National Museum Complex ‘Moldova’, a ‘drive-through’ vaccination center will be opened. Both the first jab and the booster will be administered, and citizens will receive invitations to shows or to participate in a raffle.
In another move, between May 31 and June 1, there will be an anti-COVID immunization marathon dedicated to teenagers aged 16 to 18 years old in centers set up nationwide. The president of the National Vaccination Coordination Committee, Valeriu Gheorghiţă, has specified that the young people, accompanied by parents or legal guardians, will be able to come anytime, not only after 2 p.m. as it is now. There will be one or several centers in each county, depending on the available staff, and they will be open 24 hours a day. On Thursday, a pro-vaccination media campaign will be launched by the Government, which is meant to be ‘louder’ than the ‘anti-vaccination voices’ as the Prime Minister has stated. (MI)
