October 24, 2021

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Newsroom, 24.10.2021, 13:55

COVID-19 New restrictions take effect on Monday in Romania, as the country is
struggling with an unprecedented epidemiological crisis. For 30 days, the
digital COVID certificate will be compulsory in most public places, except for
food shops and drugstores, face covering will be compulsory in all indoor and
outdoor public areas, and a ban on outdoor concerts and shows, as well as on
private events, including weddings, conferences and workshops, will be in place.
Also on Monday, public and private kindergartens,
primary, secondary schools and high schools will take a 2-week break.
After-schools will also be closed, although nurseries will stay open. Companies
with more than 50 employees will organise shifts or remote work, sports
competitions will be held without public in attendance, and a night curfew will also be introduced, between 10 pm and 5 am, for
the unvaccinated. On Sunday the authorities reported 11,725 new
SARS-CoV-2 cases and 389 COVID-related deaths.

VACCINE Over
45,000 people got vaccinated in Bucharest since Friday, almost half of them as
part of a vaccination marathon held in the capital city over the weekend.
Nation-wide, some 127,000 people got vaccinated in the last 24 hours, most of
them (over 91,000) with the first dose. The vaccination campaign has been energised
in recent days as the number of SARS-CoV-2
infections surged and as people see their access to various activities restricted without the
digital COVID certificate. Since the start of the vaccination programme in late
December, nearly 5.9 million people have completed the vaccination plan. An
efficiency survey on COVID-19 vaccination in Romania indicates that
immunisation has reduced contamination risks 5 times,
hospitalisation risks 10 times, intensive care admission risks nearly 14 times
and COVID-related death risks over 20 times.

GOVERNMENT The head of the
National Liberal Party and interim PM Florin Cîţu said on Sunday that after the
Liberals nominated Nicolae Ciucă as prime minister designate, it is time for
the parties that voted the no-confidence motion to prove responsible and to
back a cabinet made up of the Liberals and the Democratic Union of Ethnic
Hungarians in Romania. This was a reference to the Social Democratic Party and
Save Romania Union, the latter formerly partners with the Liberals in the
ruling coalition. Meanwhile, the prime minister designate carried on
negotiations over parliamentary support for his new cabinet. Nicolae Ciucă
discussed on Saturday with representatives of ethnic minorities and with the
head of the Social Democratic Party in opposition, Marcel Ciolacu. The Social
Democrats made their temporary support for a minority government conditional on
the inclusion of 10 urgent measures suggested by the Social Democrats to
overcome the healthcare and energy crises. Save Romania Union left the ruling
coalition over disagreements with PM Florin Cîţu and backed a no-confidence motion initiated by the Social
Democrats against the Cîţu government. The first politician designated by
president Klaus Iohannis to form a new government, Save Romania Union leader
Dacian Cioloş, failed to get endorsed by Parliament.

CENTENNIAL On Monday Romania marks the
centennial of the birth of Michael I of Romania, the country’s last king. On
this occasion, public radio stations will broadcast a show entitled Romania
needs art, produced jointly with the Margareta of Romania Royal Foundation,
benefitting the Young Talents Programme. The National Art Museum will also open
to visitors the historic areas of the Royal Palace. The public will be able to
visit the Royal Dining Hall, the Throne Hall and the Voivodes’ Staircase, as well as an exhibition on ‘Fragments of
memory: royal potraits,’ comprising art works depicting King Michael at various
stages of life. The 25th of October is also the Day of the Romanian
Army, and the King Ferdinand I National Military Museum will open a
temporary exhibition entitled Michael I: a century of history. King
Michael I passed away on the 5th December 2017. Thousands of people, who saw him as a model of dignity,
patriotism and duty towards his country, queued for days to pay tribute to the
late king in Bucharest. He was buried in the Mausoleum of the Royal
Family in Curtea de Argeş (south), where his
predecessors, kings Carol I, Ferdinand and Carol II also rest.

UN The values and principles of the United Nations
Charter remain relevant 76 years later, and are the basis of international
relations today, says the Romanian Foreign Ministry in a message on UN Day.
According to the institution, the COVID-19 pandemic has once again proved that
global issues require joint solutions, solidarity and international
cooperation, and in this respect, supporting and strengthening multilateralism,
founded on the UN system, are essential. In its 66 years of UN membership, Romania
has stood out as an active supporter and advocate of the achievements of
multilateral diplomacy. The Romanian diplomacy will continue to actively
promote the UN goals, in its efforts to ensure progress towards a safer, freer
and more thriving world, the message also reads. The United Nations Day is
celebrated on the 24th October, when the UN Charter entered into
force in 1945. Romania joined the organisation on 14th December 1955.

HANDBALL Romanian women’s handball
champions, CSM Bucharest, play at home today against Buducnost Podgorica of
Montenegro, in a Champions League Goup A match. In the previous leg, CSM defeated away from home the German side Borussia
Dortmund. The Romanian team ranks 6th in the group, but should they
win this match they would move on to 4th place. The top 3 teams in
the group are Rostov on Don (Russia), FTC-Rail Cargo of Hungary
and Team Esbjerg (Denmark). (tr. A.M. Popescu)