February 23, 2020 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 23.02.2020, 18:58
VIRUS
The Romanian Foreign
Ministry has announced that after new cases of infection with the Covid-19
virus were reported in Italy, where many Romanians also work and live, an
emergency cell was set up at the Romanian embassy in the Italian capital, which
is monitoring the situation and keeps in touch with the local authorities. No
cases of infection have been reported among the Romanian community in Italy,
sources with the Romanian Health Ministry have announced adding that Romania
could be more exposed to the new virus on its national territory due to its
citizens traveling between China and Italy. Most of the cases reported in Italy
were in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, where over 300 thousand
Romanians also live. We recall that six Romanian nationals from the Diamond
Princess, a cruise liner that was quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama
after cases of infection with the new virus had been reported on board, on
Saturday arrived in Romania. Although tested and found negative for the virus
by a mobile medical unit before departure, upon their arrival they have been
put in quarantine for 14 days. Two infected Romanians on the same vessel are
being treated in a hospital in Japan and their condition has been reported as
good. Another nine Romanian nationals, crew members, have decided to remain on
board. The Health Ministry in Bucharest has announced that all Romanians coming
back from the two Italian regions currently under quarantine, will be put in quarantine
for 14 days while border checkpoints have been added more medical personnel. Over
130 cases of infection with the new coronavirus were confirmed by the
authorities in Italy on Sunday, and two citizens were confirmed to have died
from the virus in that country.
VOTE
Romania’s Prime Minister designate Ludovic Orban is expected to go to
Parliament on Monday to get an investiture vote for his fresh cabinet. The 16
ministers of the Orban ll cabinet, which has the same structure and formation
as the government sacked through a no-confidence vote, have been interviewed by
the specialised committees of the Legislature in Bucharest. The Liberals’ plan
is to have two governments rejected, which could lead to Parliament dissolution
and early election. According to Orban these could take place over June 15th
and 30th concurrently with the local election. The opposition Social
Democrats have announced their intention not to participate in the investiture
vote. In the absence of a quorum, the investiture voting for the Orban government
could be postponed. Also on Monday, Romania’s Constitutional Court is going to
host debates upon a notification from the presidents of the two Parliament
Chambers who blamed the president for his decision to have designated the
sacked Prime Minister to forge a new government, which in their opinion is
sidestepping the Legislature.
TENNIS The world’s no. 2 tennis player, Simona Halep of Romania, has won
the WTA tournament in Dubai after a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory against Elena
Rybakina of Kazakhstan. Simona also won the aforementioned tournament five
years ago and has so far won 20 tournaments. Romanian tennis player Horia Tecau
and his Dutch partner Jean-Julien Rojer will next week participate in the
doubles contest of the ATP tournament in Dubai. The two will be taking on
third-seeded Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies of Germany who are also the Roland
Garros champions. Tecau and Rojer won two titles in Dubai, in 2017 and 2018 and
last year they made it to the competition’s semifinals.
FAIR The
spring edition of Romania’s Travel Fair came to an end in Bucharest on Sunday.
The event was attended by over 300 travel agencies offering holiday packages in
Romania and abroad, including for the upcoming Easter holidays. The top holiday
destinations for the Romanians were Turkey, Greece, Spain, Tunisia and Egypt,
but the participants’ offer also included exotic destinations such as Bali and
Thailand.
(translated by bill)
