November 2, 2020 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 02.11.2020, 20:04

DECISION The Committee for Emergency Situations on Monday decided that schools
in capital Bucharest remain closed for
another 14 days while delivering online courses. The present restrictions are
to be maintained for the next two weeks. The new Bucharest prefect Traian
Berbeceanu has announced that new relaxation measures aren’t to be taken given
the rising number of Covid-19 infections in Bucharest but neither are fresh
restriction to be imposed. According to the latest data released by the
authorities, in capital Bucharest, the infection rate stays at 3.91 cases per
thousand. Over 4 thousand new infections were announced on Monday bringing the
total number since the onset of the pandemic to more than 250 thousand. 86
people died in the past 24 hours and the total number of Covid-related
fatalities has reached 7,153. 916 patients are currently being treated in IC
units.

BUDGET The Finance Ministry is going to prepare a budget
adjustment, which could be ready in the second week of November, the Romanian
Public Finance Minister Florin Citu announced on Monday. According to the
minister, maintaining the deficit announced in August, with a consolidating
tendency for the next year, is among the main objectives and the budget
revenues are proof of the fact that this objective is achievable. Healthcare,
investment, Romania’s financial independence are some of the key priorities of
this initiative, Minister Citu explained in an on-line statement. According to
estimates by the Bucharest authorities, the Covid pandemic will be pushing the
deficit to 8.6% of the GDP while economy is going to shrink by 4%.

FLIGHTS The flights of the Romanian company TAROM to and from
Brussels were suspended, on Monday, but also on November 9 and 16, due to the
current epidemiological context, the state-owned airline operator has
announced. Also, for 3 weeks, more precisely between November 7 and 30, all flights
to and from London will be canceled. This month, on several days, Tarom will
not fly to Munich or Amsterdam either.

RWB 32 journalists and media collaborators have been killed
since the beginning of the year, according to Reporters Without Borders (RWB),
which states that the number remains worrying, although has declined compared
to 2019 due to the health crisis, as many journalists are no longer moving on
the field. On the occasion of the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes
Against Journalists’, marked today, RWB reiterates its call on UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to create a post of special representative
for the security of journalists. The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) is also launching a global campaign to denounce those who order crimes
against journalists and go unpunished, but also to urge governments to take
urgent action against impunity and to protect press freedom.

ELECTION In the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, mostly
Romanian-speaking), pro-European candidate Maia Sandu won the first round of
Sunday’s presidential election with more than 36% of the votes, according to
partial results. Maia Sandu is followed by pro-Russia President Igor Dodon,
with more than 32 percent, and will face him in the second round of elections
on November 15. In 3rd and 4th place were two candidates who are vying with
Igor Dodon for the left-wing electorate. The other four pro-European candidates
and those militating for the union with Romania together obtained a little over
8% of the votes.

(bill)