March 29, 2021

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Newsroom, 29.03.2021, 14:35

PROTESTS A new batch of Pfizer/BioNTech has today arrived in Romania, where the
national vaccination rollout programme is in full swing. 2 million people have
so far got the vaccine and half of them the booster dose. Out of the 21 thousand
tests carried out in the past 24 hours, over 4 thousand were positive,
authorities announced on Sunday. Another 117 fatalities were also reported on
Sunday when new restrictions aimed at keeping the pandemic at bay came into
effect. Under these new restrictions, in regions with an infection rate above 4
per thousand, have been imposed a night curfew over the weekend, applying from
20 hours, two hours earlier than in the rest of the week. Shops must close at
18 hours at weekend and in regions with an infection rate above 7.5 per
thousand the curfew is applicable the entire week. The newly adopted measures
have sparked off protests in Romania’s big cities, where thousands took to the
streets chanting anti-government slogans.

MOTION A simple motion against Romanian Agriculture Minister
Adrian Oros is due to be debated upon today in the Chamber of Deputies in
Bucharest. The opposition PSD, who tabled it, is blaming the minister for
having failed to take the right measures to offer compensations to the farmers
affected by the drought, and that the fuel excise has not been paid for. This
is the worst period for the Romanian agriculture heavily affected by the
drought and the pandemic and also by the minister’s incompetence, the Social
Democrats said. After debates the document is to be voted upon on Wednesday.
This is the third simple motion tabled by the opposition PSD in the present
Parliament season. The other two, tabled against the ministers of Health and
Economy have not been endorsed by the Legislature.

TALKS Trade union representatives and leaders of Metrorex, the
company, which operates the Bucharest underground, are to resume talks today after the
unofficial protest, which blocked the underground all day long on Friday. High
on the agenda is a proposal by the company’s board to cut the 18% pay rise by
the end of the year in order to fit into the present budget. Another issue on
the agenda is that of the shopping areas on Metrorex premises, as the company
running them, which belongs to the trade union, had to evacuate these places until
April 2nd. According to Transport Minister Catalin Drula, the Friday’s
protest failed to comply with the regulations presently in force aimed at
preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus, forcing citizens to resort to
overcrowded public transportation vehicles, putting their health at risk in a time
when the infection rate is high. The Minister has also filed a criminal
complaint against the protesters accusing them for undermining the government’s
efforts to fight the pandemic, abuse of office and for jeopardizing the
travelers’ health. In turn trade union leaders say the unofficial protest on
Friday was sparked off by the board’s intention to apply pay cuts; they also
blaming the board for its lack of interest in a constructive dialogue.

FOOTBALL Romania’s national football side lost to Germany 1-0 in
Bucharest on Sunday in a match counting towards the Group J of the World Cup
2022 preliminaries. On Thursday our footballers clinched a 3-2 win against
North Macedonia in Bucharest and will be up against Armenia in Yerevan.
Romania’s group also includes Iceland and Lichtenstein. The first sides in the
groups are qualified for the final tournaments, whereas runner-ups will be
playing tie games. Romania last participated in a World Cup in France in 1998.
On Saturday night Romania’s under-21 representative secured a 2-1 win against
Hungary in Budapest in Group A of the European Under-21 Championship 2021. They
also secured a one-all draw against the Dutch representative on Wednesday.
Romania is to play Germany in a decisive match on March 30th. The
competition’s group stage is taking place over March 24th and 31st
and the first two sides of each group will be playing in the Final 8 tournament
due in Slovenia and Hungary over May 31st and June 6th.

(bill)