July 1, 2021 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 01.07.2021, 20:00
CERTIFICATE A digital Covid certificate is available as of 1 July, to ease travel around the European Union. The document proves the owner has been vaccinated, has recovered or recently tested negative for the disease. The Special Telecommunication Service in Romania has created a web platform, which can be accessed at certificate-covid.gov.ro. After filling in a form, users can download a QR code, which can be printed or displayed on the mobile phone so that it may be scanned by customs officers. In another development, new relaxation measures were introduced in Romania on 1 July. Fairs and theme parks have been opened while accommodation facilities and gyms are allowed to operate at full capacity. Cafes and restaurants can stay open until 2 o’clock in the morning but access to night clubs and bars is only allowed to those vaccinated. On Thursday authorities announced 31 new Covid infections out of 26 thousand tests and reported only 5 fatalities in the past 24 hours. 450 patients are being treated in hospitals and 67 in intensive care.
EU Slovenia took over on 1
July the half-yearly rotating EU presidency from Portugal. PM Janez Jansa promised Slovenia will be an
unbiased mediator in the dispute between various EU member states with respect
to the rule of law and human rights. On the other hand, he called for consensus
over the enlargement of the bloc. This is Slovenia’s
second term at the helm of the EU since 2008. During its present term Slovenia,
jointly with the EU’s main institutions will chair the Conference over Europe’s
future.
REGISTRY The Romanian Police announced that a national registry is operational, concerning people having committed sexual offences, exploitation and offences against children. This is a separate record from a persons criminal history, and is an operative identification and surveillance instrument focusing on perpetrators of human trafficking and exploitation and sexual offences. Individuals listed in the Registry are under an obligation to appear regularly before the police, to provide information and to notify the authorities of any travels longer than 15 days. Citizens may obtain their own integrity certificates, valid for 6 months, by submitting an application.
UNEMPLOYMENT The unemployment rate in the EU dropped 0.1 last month compared to April, to 7.3%, but it is over the 6.9% mark reported in May 2020, the Eurostat announced on Thursday. The member states with the lowest unemployment rates, below 4%, are the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Germany, Malta, Poland and Hungary. At the opposite pole are Greece and Spain, with over 15%. With a 5.5% unemployment rate in May, down from 5.7% in April, Romania has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU.
WHO Hans Kluge, the head of WHO Europe, Thursday announced during a news conference that the ten weeks of decline in the number of Covid-19 infections in Europe are over. According to the WHO official, a new wave of infections is expected unless citizens and authorities comply with medical rules. Last week the number of new cases rose by 10% driven by increased mixing, travel, gatherings and easing of social restrictions, Kluge said. ‘This is taking place in the context of a rapidly evolving situation. A new variant of concern -the Delta variant and in a region where despite tremendous efforts by member states, millions remain unvaccinated, the WHO official went on to say. (tr. A.M. Popescu)
