February 5, 2022 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 05.02.2022, 19:12

Covid-19 update. Romania reported
almost 29,000 new Covid cases today, as well as 110 related fatalities,
including two from an earlier date. The positive rate hit 32.5, while the
fortnightly incidence rate in Bucharest passed 28 cases per 1,000 inhabitants,
the highest to date. The health ministry official Adriana Pistol says the reproduction number has
decreased, but that there will still be rises in the number of infections. She
said Romania adopted the EU rule according to which the validity of the Covid certificate for travel within the EU is nine
months without the booster shot. In Romania, the Covid certificate for travellers
who have had the booster shot is valid until end of the year, with the EU yet
to make a decision in this regard. When entering Romania, unvaccinated
travellers must produce a negative Covid test result valid for 72 hours or
proof of recovery from infection in the last 180 days.

Migrants. 2021 saw an increase in the number of migrants trying to
cross illegally into Romania from Bulgaria, in the south. Most migrants came
from Syria, Turkey and Afghanistan. Illegal arrivals grew by 280% compared with
2020, amid restrictions to fight the Covid pandemic. According to the regional
border police, the migrants’ guides come from countries like Turkey, Greece and
Bulgaria, as well as Romania.

Corruption. Mihai Chirica, the Liberal mayor of Iaşi,
Romania’s second largest city, was indicted for fraud and instigation to
usurpation of office. He is under investigation together with the former Social
Democrat deputy mayor Gabriel Harabagiu for initiating and signing
documents for the building of an apartment block that was built and registered
illegally. The Save Romania Union, in opposition, called on the Liberal Party
to sack Chirica as soon as possible,
and for early local elections to be held.

Rugby. Romania defeated Russia on Saturday at home 34-25 in their
first match in the Rugby Europe Championship, the second most important
continental competition after the Six Nations Championship. The match also
counts towards the qualification for the World Cup, to be hosted by France,
with the sides finishing in the top two positions in the 2021 and 2022 editions
of the Rugby Europe Championship to go straight to the final tournament and the
third ranked side to go into playoffs. After their win against Russia, Romania
consolidated their second-place position, after Georgia. Romania will next be
playing Portugal, again at home.

Swimming. The
Romanian swimmer Avram Iancu won the World Open Water Swimming Performance of
the Year Award. Last year, he swam 26 km upstream on the Danube river,
finishing in 18 hours and a half. He is the first Romanian to win this award.
In the last eight years, he also swam across the English Channel without
wearing a wetsuit, swam the length of the Danube, from its spring to its mouth
in the Danube Delta and has set several endurance records. (CM)