July 31, 2021 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 31.07.2021, 20:00

COVID-19 – 156 new cases of
COVID infection were reported on Saturday, in addition to 3 related fatalities.
56 people are now in intensive care. We recall that, starting August 1,
teenagers aged 12-17 can receive the anti-COVID vaccine produced by Moderna, in
addition to the Pfizer vaccine. Romania is closing in on the 5 million
vaccinated people mark, of whom most have completed the full vaccination
scheme. The number, however, is below the authorities expectations.

CYBER ATTACKS – Romanian
hospitals are vulnerable to cyber-attacks, while their level of digital
security is low, the Romanian Intelligence Service has warned, after last week
a hospital in Bucharest was the target of a ransomware attack. According to the
Service, such attacks are used by hackers to demand ransom for crypted data.
Although of medium or low complexity, the attacks may severely disrupt the
activity of healthcare institutions. The Service recommends the adoption of
centralized measures to impose the implementation of minimum cyber security at
the level of these institutions.

ATTACK – The Foreign
Ministry in Bucharest announced it would provide all the necessary assistance
and will actively monitor the investigation into the circumstances of the
violent attack that killed a Romanian national on Thursday in the Arabian Sea.
The Ministry recalls that so far Romania’s missions have received no requests
for consular assistance. One Romanian citizen and a British one were killed
during an attack on Thursday onboard the Mercer Street oil tanker off the Oman
coast in the Arabian Sea. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade
Operations, an anti-piracy organization, the attack took place some 280
kilometers southeast of Oman’s capital city. Zodiac Maritime issued a statement
saying the ship was Japanese-owned.

AMBASSDOR – Romania’s new
ambassador to the United States, Andrei Muraru, was on Friday received at the
US State Department where he presented copies of his letters of accreditation.
In a post on Facebook, the Romanian diplomat said the reception is a rare
exception made by the US State Department, which is a clear indication of the
special importance of US-Romanian relations. Andrei Muraru said that, during
his meetings with US officials, he expressed Romania’s firm commitment to
consolidating the strategic partnership at military, political, economic,
cultural and educational levels.

DEFICIT – Romania’s
budget deficit stood below 3% of the GDP after the first six months of the
year, which signals a drop according to centralized data published by the
Finance Ministry. Budget revenues are 20% higher compared to the similar period
of last year. Spending also went up by 10%, compared to 2020. The largest share
represented investment, followed by COVID-related spending. Personnel spending
also went up 4.5%, while social welfare expenses also increased by some 9%.

VISIT – Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Kathryn Huff and David Muniz,
Charge d’affaires of the US Embassy in Bucharest on Friday visited the Nuclear
Power Plant at Cernavodă. According to a US Embassy release, the visit was
aimed at starting bilateral talks over the recent ratification by president
Klaus Iohannis of the US-Romanian inter-government agreement, also marking the
10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between the two
states. The US Embassy also says the agreement allows for cooperation in key
sectors for Romania as well as in the field of civilian nuclear energy,
particularly as regards projects to build Units 3 and 4 and modernizing Unit 1
at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant. The USA and Romania in October 2020
signed an extended inter-government cooperation agreement regarding the
development of nuclear energy projects at Cernavodă and in the field of
civilian nuclear energy in Romania. In November 2020, the European Commission
ratified the US-Romanian agreement that provides for the building of reactors 3
and 4 at Cernavodă. The project will be using the CANDU 6 technology, which is
similar to the current one being used in units 1 and 2.

FESTIVAL – Cancelled last
year due to the COVID pandemic, the Medieval Sighişoara Festival, the
longest-lasting festival of its kind in Romania, will this year bring together
artists, craftsmen and a large number of guests. The only medieval citadel
still inhabited in southeastern Europe, Sighişoara will this weekend see
warriors, knights, ladies of the court and master craftsmen pouring in from all
corners of the country and from abroad. On Friday, the medieval play The Farce
of Master Pathelin, stage directed by our colleague from the Aromanian
Service, Toma Enache, who is also the festival’s stage director, was premiered.
A concert by the band Phoenix is scheduled for Sunday. Entry is free of charge,
face masks are mandatory and only vaccinated people or those presenting a negative
PCR test for COVID-19 can attend the performances.

WEATHER – A heat wave
continues to grip Romania, with code orange and yellow alerts having been
issued in most regions. Meteorologists expect extremely high temperatures,
thunderstorms, but also strong wind and hail during the interval. Highs may
exceed 38 degrees locally. (VP)