August 8, 2020

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Newsroom, 08.08.2020, 13:56

COVID-19 Authorities in Bucharest have announced 1,350 new Covid infections, bringing
the total number of cases to over 60 thousand since the beginning of the
pandemic five months ago. 43 fatalities have also been announced adding to a
death toll of 2,659. 448 patients have been reported to be in intensive care
units. The most affected regions in Romania are the capital Bucharest and the
counties of Prahova, Arges and Dambovita all in the country’s south. A state
secretary, who is also an army physician, has been appointed in charge of the
Public Health Direction in Bucharest (DSP) in an attempt to deal with the
shortcomings of this institution. DSP has attracted a lot of heat lately for
failed or even non-existent epidemiological investigations. In another move the
Ombudsman has challenged at the Constitutional Court several provisions of the
newly-passed law on quarantine and isolation. The compulsory hospitalization of
those infected and the provisions regulating the deployment of the medical
personnel have been challenged. The Ombudsman believes that mandatory
hospitalization is tantamount to an abuse and this measure should be imposed
only after all the other less severe measures have failed. According to the
Ombudsman, under the current provisions, the deployment of personnel looks more
like mandatory deployment and is unconstitutional. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban
has criticized the Ombudsman’s latest moves saying it is challenging
fundamental laws.

MAE According
to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, authorities in Germany have revised the
conditions required for entering this country after 7 Romanian counties, Arges,
Bihor, Buzau, Neamt, Ialomita, Mehedinti and Timis have been included on a list
of risky regions. So all people coming from these regions, irrespective of
their citizenship, must produce a negative Covid test carried out 48 hours
before their arrival or take a free test 72 hours since their arrival on German
soil. Those who refuse to comply can be denied entry or can be imposed self-isolation.
If the test is carried out while on German soil, self-isolation is imposed
until the result of the test is known.

TOURISM Almost 150 thousand tourists are expected to arrive in the seaside
resorts on the Romanian Black Sea coast this weekend, which are running to full
capacity thanks to the hot weather. Tourists are requested to pay attention to
several aspects such as the extreme hot weather, the rough sea or the issues
caused by the novel coronavirus. As the seaside resorts are the most crowded
tourist areas in Romania, tourists are facing an increased risk of infection. Teams
made up of police troops, gendarmes, firefighters as well as representatives of
the public healthcare institutions and consumers’ protection have been deployed
to assess the observance of safety regulations. 150 fines totaling 11 thousand Euros
have been applied in the past 24 hours.

ASSISTANCE Romania has joined the international assistance efforts to Lebanon in
the wake of the devastating explosion at an ammonium nitrate storehouse on
Tuesday. Approximately 8 tons of medical equipment and medicine are today being
transported to Lebanon by two planes belonging to the Romanian Air Force. The
government in Bucharest, civil society and representatives of the Lebanese diaspora
have responded to the assistance appeal received from the Lebanese government. Two
experts with the Romanian General Emergency Inspectorate are accompanying the
transport. The explosion has killed at least 150 people while 5,000 others have
been wounded. Hundreds of Beirut residents have been made temporarily homeless
while the collective loss might reach billions of dollars.

(translated by bill)