April 28, 2020 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news.

Newsroom, 28.04.2020, 20:12

TRILATERAL MEETING — Cooperation within NATO and the situation in the Republic of Moldova were discussed on Tuesday via conference call by the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu and his Polish and Turkish counterparts, Jacek Czaputowicz and Mevlut Cavusoglu. Aurescu highlighted the importance of finding new ways to consolidate NATO and his role at international level in partnership with the countries and organisations that share the same values and objectives. He reiterated the importance of solidarity among allies and of the transatlantic relations as core NATO principles and also the need to continue the process of consolidation of NATO’s deterrence and defence role on the eastern border. The Romania-Poland-Turkey trilateral consultation format was launched in 2012 upon Romanias proposal.

CORONAVIRUS ROMANIA – Romanian authorities have released a new military decree, the 10th since the state of emergency was declared on March 16. The document eases mobility restrictions for people aged 65 and above, who will be allowed to leave the home between 7-11 AM and 7-10 PM. Interior Minister Marcel Vela said inbound and outgoing flights for 13 countries continue to be banned until May 15. In another development, schools, kindergartens and universities in Romania will remain closed until the end of the academic year. Classes will continue to unfold online until June 12, when the school year will officially close. Only 8th and 12th graders will go to schools in early June to have their final exams. Another 13 people infected with COVID 19 have died, bringing the death toll to 663 in Romania. The latest victims, 10 women and 3 men, were aged 64 to 84. Over 11.600 infections have been reported in Romania and 3.400 people have recovered. Around 2.000 Romanian citizens living abroad have tested positive for COVID-19, most of them in Italy, and 87 have died. President Klaus Iohannis has said the results obtained so far by Romanian authorities, doctors and citizens in the battle with the coronavirus are notable, the infection rate being around 600 to 1 million people, much smaller than in countries like Spain and Italy. Iohannis has warned, however, that the danger has not passed and that a premature relaxation of restriction is likely to annul the progress made in the fight against the disease.

FINANCIAL – Romanians in the Diaspora invest most in Romania, according to data provided by the World Bank. In 2019, the Dispora sent home 7.2 billion dollars, by 1.5 billion more than the level of foreign investment. The financial contribution of the Romanians abroad accounts for almost 3% of the country’s 2019 GDP. The WB has warned, however, that due to the economic and social measures taken to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the remittances worldwide might drop by 142 billion dollars in 2020, the most significant decline in recent history that may signal a global economic crisis.

INFECTION — Over 200 Romanian seasonal workers in Germany have tested positive to coronavirus and are under quarantine, the Romanian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday. On the other hand, MEP Victor Negrescu has required the Ombudsman’s intervention at EU level to protect the rights of the Romanian seasonal workers. Negrescu has signalled that social distancing restrictions have been infringed in the context of work travels abroad and that labour contract stipulations may give way to abuse. Negrescu says that Romanian workers are not clearly informed on the working conditions, the risks involved and their rights as European citizens. Thousands of Romanians have recently travelled for work to countries like Germany, the UK and Austria, in spited of the coronavirus epidemic and the restrictive measures in place.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Over 3 million people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus and over 210,000 people have died to the virus. Of these, over a quarter, 56,000 were reported in the United States, where 90,000 people are infected. More and more states are starting to ease restrictions. Plans to this end are underway in New York, by far the most affected city, where activities might resume gradually starting May 15. President Donald Trump has backed this planned relaxation, despite the authorities plea for increased testing as an additional safety measure. In Europe, Italy, the country with the highest number of deaths, will lift part of the restrictions starting May 4. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte warned this doesnt mean things will return to normal. Italy has reached the tenth week since the start of the epidemic and the 8th since restrictions are in place. (Translated by Elena Enache)