May 20, 2020 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 20.05.2020, 20:11
COVID-19 Romania — More people infected with the new coronavirus have died in Romania, the death toll reaching 1,147, the Strategic Communication Group informed on Wednesday. According to the authorities, the total number of contaminated people exceeded 17 thousand, with over 10 thousand patients having recovered. As many as 3 thousand Romanian citizens from abroad have been contaminated with COVID-19 mostly in Italy, Spain and Germany and 104 have died in such countries as Great Britain, Italy and France.
Parliament — The Romanian Parliament approved on Wednesday the recent decision of the Liberal government regarding the instatement of the state of alert in Romania meant to prevent and combat the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. There were 372 votes ‘for’, 37 ‘against’ and 7 abstentions. MPs have made certain modifications to the government decision. One such modification places hospitals again under the subordination of the local administration, given that during the state of emergency hospitals were administered by the Interior Ministry. Also another modification obliges the Government to provide disadvantaged people with face mask for free. The state of alert was declared on May 18 and will last for 30 days.
Checkpoints — The Romanian interior minister, Marcel Vela, announced that starting on Wednesday people can enter Romania from Hungary by car through another 5 border checkpoints. The decision was agreed upon following Tuesday’s talks in Budapest between the Romanian interior minister and his Hungarian counterpart Sandor Pinter. Additional border checkpoints will be opened in Cernad, Turnu, Salonta, Valea lui Mihai and Urziceni. Minister Vela said that there will also be a transit lane for minibuses and coaches open around the clock. The measure was taken to deal with the traffic congestion reported in Romania’s western border checkpoints caused by the lifting of the state of emergency. Congestion was reported also on Wednesday in the Nadlac 1 checkpoint where the Romanian citizens wishing to enter Romania have to wait up to 12 hours. (tr. L. Simion)
