July 20, 2020 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 20.07.2020, 20:00
ATHLETES – Two Romanian visually impaired athletes, Alex Benchea and Razvan Nedu, who left the country last week to climb Mont Blanc, have reached their goal. Alex Benchea is the first Romanian blind climber to have conquered Mount Kilimanjaro while Razvan Nedu, the captain of the national paraclimbing team, has won medals at national and international competitions. A technical team led by the coach of the Romanian paraclimbing team, Claudiu Miu, accompanied the two athletes in their latest expedition. The purpose of these expeditions is to prove other people with disabilities that with hard work and strong will anything is possible.
FOOTBALL – The Ballon dOr will not be awarded this year due to the extraordinary conditions created by the coronavirus pandemic, France Press reports. According to the organizers with the French Football magazine, there will be no edition in 2020 because the conditions for that are not met. France Football said it would be unfair to vote on the worlds best player when some leagues, including the French Ligue 1, cancelled their seasons early. Lionel Messi holds most Ballon dOr trophies — 6, followed closely by Cristiano Ronaldo with 5.
ACCUSATIONS – British Foreign Minister, Dominic Raab, has accused Russia of trying to steal COVID-19 vaccine and treatment research from academic and pharmaceutical institutions , Reuters reports. The most advanced vaccine against Covid-19 is believed to be the one developed by Oxford University, which is already being produced by a pharmaceutical company. Russian Ambassador, Andrei Kelin, dismissed the accusations. British authorities have recently imposed sanctions against 49 Russian citizens accused of abuse against human rights. Also, a report on the alleged Russian involvement in British politics will be made public next week.
PARLIAMENT –The Parliament of Romania is working this week as well, in a special session. The agenda of the Senate includes a citizen initiative under which convicted criminals are no longer allowed to hold public office. The bill has already been endorsed by the Chamber of Deputies, but has been pending on Parliament’s agenda for over a year.
AIR FORCES – Ceremonies were held on Monday, in a low-key form in keeping with the coronavirus containment measures, to celebrate the Day of the Romanian Aviation and Air Forces. PM Ludovic Orban attended an event in Bucharest, where he thanked all professionals in the field for their work, courage and professionalism. 15 military aircraft flew over the Air Heroes Monument in Bucharest, where a religious service was also held.
LAW – In Romania, the law on the quarantine and isolation of the people infected with COVID-19, enters into force on Tuesday. The Government convenes on Tuesday to introduce in the decision of extending the state of alert by 30 days, the provisions of the new law. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said on Monday that the Government would use all institutional instruments available to contain the epidemic. Under the new law, people who return from countries with a high number of coronavirus cases need to quarantine at home or at locations provided by the public authorities. Those who do not follow the isolation and quarantine rules can receive sanctions. The isolation is first introduced for 48 hours, during which doctors can assess the patients and establish the risk of spreading the virus. If the risk persists, doctors can recommend extending the isolation period in hospital or at the patients home. The decision for quarantine or isolation can be appealed in Court but, until the ruling is delivered, the patient cannot leave the location without the doctor’s permission.
COVID-19 – Romania reports a total of over 38,100 COVID-19 cases, with 681 new infections confirmed in the last 24 hours, the Strategic Communication Group announced on Monday. The total number of deaths caused by SARS CoV-2 has reached 2,038. Nearly 22,700 patients have recovered, accounting for 60% of the total number. Abroad, 5,215 Romanian nationals have tested positive for the virus, with the death toll standing at 122. The health minister Nelu Tătaru said he was concerned with people’s disregard for health protection measures at the seaside and in the mountain resorts where many Romanians are on holiday. He does not rule out reducing the working hours of outdoor restaurants and bars, which are highly popular in Romania at this time of the year.
