November 30, 2020 UPDATE
A news update
Newsroom, 30.11.2020, 19:32
National Day — Due to the new coronavirus pandemic, on December 1, Romania’s National Day, a small ceremony will be organized, which will be attended by physicians, other medical staff and foreign ambassadors. Small ceremonies attended only by the local authorities will also be held in other big cities of Romania. The Romanian Foreign Ministry celebrates Romania’s National Day this year through a digital diplomacy project, and also through its diplomatic missions and consular offices. The project is a virtual dialogue and meeting space devoted to Romania’s friends and partners, to the Romanian communities and citizens from abroad and it has a novel form, adapted to the global health situation. The National Day of Romania will be celebrated by the Romanian Cultural Institute through a series of online events aimed at promoting the Romanian culture and civilization. On Romania’s National Day Niagara Falls will be lit up in the colors of the Romanian flag between 9:45 p.m. and 10.00 p.m. local time thanks to an initiative of the Romanian Embassy in Ottawa and to the show “Us Romanians” produced by Raul Dudnicşi from Arad and broadcast all over Canada through the OMNI channel. According to the Romanian Television Corporation, the moment can be watched online at www.cliftonhill.com.
Covid-19 Romania — Another 3,826 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania out of 10 thousand tests, which points to a contamination rate of over 33%. Since the onset of the pandemic, the number of contaminations countrywide has exceeded 475 thousand, according to data published on Monday by the Strategic Communication Group. 138 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 11,331. Romania reports a record number of Covid-19 patients in ICUs, 1,251. The slight drop in the spread rate of the new coronavirus reported in the past week in Romania is one of the first effects of recent measures taken by the authorities, says President Klaus Iohannis. He urged the population to continue to strictly observe the health protection rules while waiting for the anti-Covid-19 vaccine to arrive. President Iohannis announced that the first immunization phase will include the medical staff and the vulnerable people while mass immunization will most probably take place in spring.
Meeting – The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu participates on December 1 and 2 in a video conference of the foreign ministers of the NATO member states. The agenda of the meeting includes such topics as the consolidation of NATO’s political dimension, the relations with Russia and China, the situation in Afghanistan and security in the Black Sea region. Minister Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate, among others, the Black Sea’s strategic importance for Euro-Atlantic security and will highlight the need to carry on with the efforts of consolidating the allied presence in the region as well as of strengthening coherence on the NATO eastern flank. The foreign ministers will participate in 3 working sessions, one in allied format on December 1, and the other two, on December 2, also involving the participation of some of the NATO partner states.
Saint Andrew — Christians from around the world, including from Romania, celebrated on November 30 the Saint Apostle Andrew. Considered the patron saint of Romania, the apostle of Jesus Christ preached the Christian faith to and baptized the inhabitants of Dobrogea (southeast). Saint Andrew died a martyr in the town of Patras, Greece, crucified on an X-shaped cross. As many as 700 thousand Romanians are named Andrei — the Romanian for Andrew.
Ceremonies — The Romanian Defense Ministry organized on Monday, on Saint Andrews’ Day, a military and religious ceremony for the re-consecration of the Heroes’ Cross on Caraiman Peak, in the Bucegi Mountains, also known as The Commemorative Cross to the Romanian Heroes of the First World War. The Cross was renovated with Europeans funds. The monument is located at an altitude of almost 2,300 meters and was included in The Guinness Book of Records as the highest cross located on a mountain peak. It is more than 39 meters high, with the length of the horizontal arm of about 15 meters. The cross was erected between 1926 — 1928 upon order of one of the 4 monarchs of Romania — King Ferdinand and his wife, Marie.
Film — Conrad Mericoffer, the Romanian actor playing the main character in the film Poppy Field directed by Eugen Jebeleanu won the Best Actor Award in the Retueyos official section of the Gijón International Film Festival hosted by Spain. He also won the Best Actor Award granted by the jury of the 38th edition of the Turin Film Festival, from Italy. The drama Poppy Field, the cinematographic debut of director Eugen Jebeleanu, was first presented at the 24th edition of the Tallinn Black Nights International Festival (PÖFF). Made after a script by Ioana Moraru, the film presents a day in the life of Cristi (Conrad Mericoffer), a young gendarme from Bucharest. (tr. L. Simion)
