March 25, 2021 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 25.03.2021, 19:45

Restrictions. The government approved on Thursday the new
restrictions proposed by the Committee for Emergency Situations amid a rise in
the number of Covid cases. In places with more than 4 cases per 1,000
residents, movement is restricted at the weekend from 8 pm and shops close at 6
pm. In places with more than 7.5 cases per 1,000 residents, these restrictions
also apply during weekdays. Movement will, however, be allowed during Easter,
until 2 am. The Bucharest Committee for Emergency Situations will meet on Friday
to establish the new measures to contain the spread of the pandemic, said
Bucharest prefect Alin Stoica. The meeting will take place after the
publication of the government’s decision on the new measures. On
Thursday Romania saw 6,651 new Covid infections, with total cases nearing 920,000
and the death toll passing 22,700. Bucharest saw over 2,100 new cases, the
highest daily figure since the start of the pandemic, which means an infection
rate of 6.5 cases per 1,000 residents. 11 counties and Bucharest are currently
in the red zone, with over 3 cases in every 1,000 people tested. More than 1,860,000
people have received at least one vaccine dose since the start of the mass immunisation
campaign in December last year.

EU summit.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis is attending an on-line meeting of the
European Council on Thursday and Friday. According to the president’s office,
the EU leaders are discussing a coordinated EU response to the Covid pandemic,
with emphasis on stepping up production, delivery and distribution of vaccines
and preparation for the gradual relaxation of restrictions. The single market, the
consolidation of the digital sector, the situation in the Eastern
Mediterranean, relations with Turkey and are also on the agenda. A euro summit
is also held on the sidelines of the summit to discuss the international role
of the European currency with emphasis on the importance of solid economic
policies to boost the resilience of the eurozone.

Energy.
Romania and six other EU member states signed a joined letter to the European
Commission advocating the importance of nuclear energy in the Union’s present
and future energy mix and calling for the further development of strategic
investment projects in this area. The statement was signed by the prime
ministers of Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and
Slovenia and the president of France. The signatories voice concern over the
fact that the development of nuclear energy is challenged by certain member
states despite its contribution to the fight against climate change and the as
yet untapped synergies between nuclear technology and renewable energy. They advocate
the right of member states to choose their energy mix, a right which is
currently strongly affected by EU tendencies to favour renewable energy sources
over other low carbon technologies.

Business. Prime minister Florin
Cîţu said Romania is paying special attention to its strategic partnership with
the United States at a meeting in Bucharest with a delegation of the American-Romanian Business Council,
a government statement says. Talks also looked at ways to develop business in
Romania, including as a result of the implementation of the national recovery
and resilience plan. The delegation chaired by Eric Stewart, the executive
president of the American-Romanian Business Council, also met foreign minister
Bogdan Aurescu, who underscored the need to expand the US’ economic presence in
Romania and the region. Talks also focused on the strategic regional projects
promoted by Romania to connect the north and south of the Three Seas region,
Rail2Sea and Via Carpathia, and how the US private sector and the US
administration can get involved in their realisation. Eric Stewart said he was
ready to present these projects to major US companies in the field of
infrastructure.

Protest.
Hundreds of police workers staged rallies at several locations across Bucharest on Thursday, to protest against low
salaries which, according to trade unionists, have not been raised since 2009.
Unionists are demanding, among others, the update of their meal allowance,
hazard pay and holiday vouchers. They also want better equipment and for more
staff to be hired, especially at operations level. (CM)