July 9, 2020
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Newsroom, 09.07.2020, 13:55
COVID-19 Romania ranks 1st in the EU by number of new coronavirus cases confirmed in 24 hours, with 555, which is more than during the state of emergency. The death toll is over 1,800. The number of patients in intensive care is also close to the highest number reported during the state of emergency. The number of cases has grown lately due to failure to comply with containment rules, an attitude reinforced by fake news and by peoples distrust of the authorities, says dr. Virgil Musta, head of the COVID ward at the Victor Babeş Hospital in Timişoara (west). He explained that unless measures are taken immediately, the virus may spread at alarming rates and the healthcare system might become unable to handle the situation. The health minister Nelu Tătaru said he is not considering a new state of emergency at this point, but a decision in this respect will be based on further assessments. Tǎtaru also mentioned that new relaxation measures are also out of the question until the number of new cases is steady.
BILL A bill on self-isolation and quarantine drafted by the Government is on the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies as of today. The Government passed the bill on Monday, after the Constitutional Court dismissed previous bills on compulsory isolation and quarantine as unconstitutional, on grounds that they are lacking in clarity and predictability, and do not guarantee that certain fundamental rights and freedoms are complied with. The Constitutional Court also found that introducing quarantine under a government order is a violation of fundamental rights. The Social Democrats in opposition announced they would substantially alter the text of the bill, because it comes against citizen rights and freedoms. On the other hand, the Government accuses the Social Democratic Party of irresponsibility over postponing debates on this bill, which according to the Cabinet enhances the efficiency of COVID-19 containment measures while at the same time complying with the Constitutional Court ruling. The Senate will cast the decisive vote on this bill early next week.
EU The German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented the European Parliament with the programme of the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, which Berlin will be holding for the next 6 months. The German official once again called for solidarity and unity among member states, so that they may emerge stronger from the coronavirus crisis. Merkel described this health crisis as the biggest challenge for the EU and explained that the future multi-annual budget as well as the post COVID-19 recovery fund must not only help in the short run, but also lead to a long-term reform of the Union. In turn, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen warned politicians and institutions not to disregard the multi-annual budget in favour of the economic recovery instrument, dubbed “Next Generation EU. Member states must overcome divergences over a number of issues, such as the funds earmarked for the recovery plan, its duration, the loan-to-grant ratio or the criteria for fund allotment to member countries.
DEFENCE The Romanian Army Chief of Staff, lieutenant-general Daniel Petrescu, takes part in a meeting of the EU Military Committee in Brussels. According to the Defence Ministry, the agenda includes topics like the EU-NATO cooperation, assessments of security threats, and the prospects of military training missions in the Central African Republic, Mali and Somalia. Participants will also discuss the security issues related to migration flows and the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic for command and control structures.
PANDEMIC The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide is over 12.1 million, with the death toll reaching 552,000, according to worldometers.info. One-quarter of the total number of cases were confirmed in the US, while Brazil, the second hardest hit country, has more than 1.7 million infection cases. The US secretary of state Mike Pompeo says progress has been made in the talks with the EU on reopening borders to travellers from the US, France Presse reports. EU countries agreed to reopen EU and Schengen borders as of July 1 to passengers from 15 countries, in a list that includes China, under certain conditions, but not the USA. The list, based on epidemiologic criteria, was approved by EU member states following difficult negotiations, at the start of the summer tourist season. The US had in turn introduced travel restrictions for EU citizens during the pandemic. The US president Donald Trump said at that time that the large number of infections in the US was owing to the travellers coming from Europe, because, he claimed, the EU failed to ban travel to and from China in due time.
FOOTBALL FCSB is the first team to qualify into the Romanian Cup final, after defeating another Bucharest-based club, Dinamo, 3-0 and 1-0 respectively. The other semi-final, due tonight, is pitting CSM Poli Iasi against Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe. In the first leg, Sepsi won 5-1 on home turf. The games are played without public. the final is scheduled on July 22 in Ploiesti. (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)
