May 19, 2021 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 19.05.2021, 20:00

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Over four million Romanians have been immunized, so
far, against COVID-19, the country occupying the seventh place at European
level with regard to the administration of the complete vaccination scheme.
Vaccination is now possible without appointment, so anybody can go to a
vaccination center with just an ID. Tens of thousands of people have been
immunized in recent days in the drive-through system and in so-called
vaccination marathons held across the country. In another move, the Strategic
Communication Group reported 707 new cases of infection with the new
coronavirus in 24 hours, out of 31 thousand tests performed, confirming the
downward trend of the pandemic. In 24 hours, 54 patients diagnosed with
COVID-19 died. 718 people are in intensive care.

SCHOOL – 93% of the total number of pupils in Romania, i.e. 2.7 million, returned
to physical attendance in classes on Wednesday. The Minister of Education,
Sorin Cîmpeanu, announced that, if the downward trend of the infection rate is
confirmed, the 200,000 children who still take online courses, in 534
localities with an incidence of more than 1 per one thousand inhabitants, will
also be able to return to school soon. The minister urges school principals to
ensure compliance with the protection measures and rules in place, explaining
that if a school cannot provide a differentiated schedule and there are too
many children during the break, then they will have to wear a mask.

GDP – Romania’s gross domestic product increased by 2.8% in the first
quarter of this year, compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, and remained flat
compared to the same quarter last year – according to the National Institute of
Statistics. Liberal Prime Minister Florin Cîţu has spoken of a historic
comeback and promised that the center-right government will prepare new
measures to make the post-pandemic economy stronger and more competitive. In
reply, the president of the opposition Social Democratic Party, Marcel Ciolacu,
has stated that the only historic thing is the collapse of Romanians’
purchasing power.

IMMIGRANTS – Border police from Petea, Satu Mare County
(northwest) found a minibus driver who had hidden in a specially arranged place
in the luggage compartment seven citizens from Syria and Bangladesh, with the
intention of illegally crossing them the border to Hungary. During the
preliminary verifications, it was established that the driver from Timişoara,
as well as two other Romanian passengers in the minibus were the guides of the
seven foreign citizens, aged between 20 and 41. The border police are investigating
the crime of attempted fraudulent crossing of the state border for the seven
foreign citizens, as well as the crime of trafficking in migrants for the three
Romanian citizens.

FUNDS – The European Parliament on Tuesday agreed to disburse €397.5 million
from the EU Solidarity Fund to help 17 member states and 3 candidate countries to
cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Romania will be allotted €13.9
million from the EU general budget in 2021. An additional €86.7 million will go
to Greece and France to help these countries deal with the effects of the
natural disasters occurred in the second half of 2020.

5G – The Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest on Wednesday adopted the
Government’s bill on implementing 5G networks. The law provides for the use of
5G networks for operating technologies, equipment and software only by
certified producers only. Certification is obtained by Government order and
with the approval of the country’s supreme defense council, while complying
with Romania’s commitments to the EU and its strategic partners. A final vote
will be cast by the Senate, the decision-making body in this case.

FOOTBALL – CFR Cluj football club won its fourth consecutive
title of the Romanian football championship on Tuesday night, after defeating
FC Botoşani 1-0, away from home in the ninth round of the group phase. CFR has
thus won its seventh title. The team from Cluj will be Romania’s only
representative in Champions League. (MI & VP)