December 27, 2022
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 27.12.2022, 13:55
FLU – Over 100,000 cases of flu have been reported in Romania, particularly in children. Experts advise in favor of taking the anti-flu and anti-COVID shots, vulnerable categories in particular. Health Minister Alexandru Rafila says he expects a new wave of COVID that would result in a higher number of serious cases in Romania. A little over 3,400 people have been diagnosed with COVID, of whom 950 were reinfected.
SEARCH – Search and rescue teams continue to look for the Ukrainian citizens who got lost on Saturday while trying to cross Maramureș Mountains. On Monday, only one person was rescued due to severe weather conditions. The authorities involved in the operation announced that two of the three Ukrainians who are still stranded are in critical condition and are located in an area that is hard to access due to rocky terrain and changing weather conditions. To retrieve them, the authorities received support from FRONTEX. A Diamond aircraft flew over the Romanian-Ukrainian border area. Made up of six people, the group of Ukrainians tried to illegally enter Romania by crossing the alpine border. Search and rescue operations were hampered after the men didn’t want to disclose their location on the first day. The Border Police says the men are aged 23-33. After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Kyiv authorities have called a general mobilization and decreed martial law, which forbids able men aged 18-60 from leaving the country.
NEW YEAR – The Interior Ministry has taken special precautions to maintain public order around New Year’s Eve. 24,500 police officers, gendarmes, border police officers, firefighters and employees with other structures will be mobilized on a daily basis. Road traffic police will deploy 290 traffic radars and will test drivers for alcohol and illegal substances. The authorities expect a new wave of tourists to head to mountain resorts on Prahova Valley and have prepared special teams of mountain gendarmes.
MOLDOVA – Moldova’s president Maia
Sandu hailed the initiative of the Moldovan Education Ministry to provide
free-of-charge Romanian-language classes to Moldovan adults who don’t use
Romanian on a daily basis. Launched in 2013, the program was underfunded and
offered classes for children only. The state budget for 2023 earmarks
additional funds to extend the program, the Moldovan Presidency reports. The Moldovan
Government is expected to pass a decree providing all the details of the
program, which starting next year will be better suited to meet the Romanian
language demands of Moldovan adults, says president Maia Sandu.
FEAST DAY – Orthodox and Eastern-Catholic Christians today celebrate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, one of the deacons elected to serve in the first Christian community in Jerusalem. Stephen was accused of blasphemy by Jewish clerics and was stoned to death. Roman-Catholic Christians celebrated Saint Stephen on the second day of Christmas. Over 500,000 people celebrate their name day on this occasion.
HANDBALL – The men’s handball teams of Romania, Egypt, Algeria and Slovakia will take part in this year’s edition of the Carpați Trophy tournament, held over December 28-29 in Oradea, the Romanian Handball Federation reports. Egypt and Algeria have secured qualification to the 2023 World Cup, to be held in January 2023. Coach Xavi Pascual has called up 24 players to the squad, which convened on Monday for training. (VP)
