April 16, 2020
State of emergency extended by another 30 days in Romania, total number of COVID-19 cases exceeds 7,700
Newsroom, 16.04.2020, 13:55
COVID-19 The Parliament of Romania convenes today in an online meeting to discuss and vote on the presidential order extending the state of emergency by another 30 days. MPs yesterday tabled a number of recommendations and suggestions to be forwarded to the President and the Government. Among other things, they request the Government to present a weekly report on the measures to contain the COVID-19 epidemic and the arguments for taking these measures. They also want the Government to come up with a full report on all measures taken and their consequences, within 30 days after the end of the state of emergency, and the Court of Accounts to conduct verifications into the spending of public resources within 60 days since the end of the state of emergency. The death toll of the coronavirus epidemic in Romania has reached 387, out of a total of 7,700 cases. According to the authorities, 1357 people have so far recovered. As for the Romanians living abroad, 718 have so far tested positive for the COVID-19, most of them in Italy. As many as 55 Romanian nationals living abroad died since the start of the pandemic.
EASTER An agreement between the Romanian Interior Ministry and the Orthodox Church, which allowed believers to go out and had police distributing lit candles on Easter night, was altered further to heavy criticism from the Presidency and the healthcare community. People will not be allowed to attend religious services even outside churches, as instructed by the military orders issued so far. Easter bread and light will be delivered, at the request of believers, by priests and church volunteers. President Klaus Iohannis asked for strict compliance with the current military orders and with social distancing measures. He warned that otherwise the situation may worsen significantly after Easter. Orthodox and Greek Catholic Christians mark Maundy Thursday today, commemorating the Last Supper and the events taking place before Christs arrest and crucifixion. This year the measures designed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic do not allow believers to attend the Easter mass, but they can watch live broadcasts of religious services on the TV, internet or listen to them on the radio.
NATO The Romanian Defence Minister, Nicolae Ciucă, took part on Wednesday in a meeting of the North-Atlantic Council defence ministers, convened by the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. The meeting, held by conference call, focused on the implications of the COVID-19 for the Alliance. Minister Ciucă presented the efforts made to contain the virus in Romania, with support granted by the Army to the national authorities. Nicolae Ciucă also reiterated Romanias commitment to a continuing participation in NATOs operations, missions and activities, where Allied troops are facing not only specific threats in theatres of operations, but also ones related to the spread of the coronavirus, and in this context he requested close monitoring of the situation by the Alliance. The NATO defence ministers decided to put together a pandemic response plan, based on the lessons derived from the experience and best practices of the Allied states and international organisations in the context of the current crisis.
PANDEMIC The European Parliament convenes in a special session today to discuss a joint response of EU member states to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, dpa reports. MEPs are to endorse a resolution requesting better protection of EU citizens in the current crisis, stronger support for the healthcare systems of member states and a unified strategy for lifting containment measures. Yesterday, the European Commission made public a roadmap for member states, recommending the coordinated and phased lifting of restrictions, extensive testing of citizens and the replacement of the state of emergency with targeted interventions. The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, estimated on Wednesday that a safe and effective vaccine against the coronavirus may be the only instrument allowing for a return to a sense of normalcy, and voiced hope that one will be ready by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases around the world has exceeded 2 million, with the death toll standing at 136,000. In the US, the new epicentre of the pandemic, 637,000 cases and over 30,000 deaths have been reported, the largest figures in the world. In Europe, the worst hit countries remain Italy, Spain, France and the UK. On the other hand, the IMF warns that for the first time in 60 years Asia will not be able to report economic growth.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)
