October 8, 2020

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 08.10.2020, 13:55

PANDEMIC According to worldometers.info,
36 million people have so far tested positive for the novel Covid-19 virus
while one million people died worldwide. The United States seems to be the most
affected country with 7.7 million infections and over 216 thousand deaths.
India has reported over 6.8 million cases and over 105 thousand fatalities. In
Italy, authorities have also called on the military to get involved in checking
the observance of safety rules; the state of emergency in this country has been
extended to another three months and people must wear masks everywhere. Italy
is seeing a rising number of Covid infections, which has reached 37 hundred new
cases with 31 fatalities reported. France has also reported roughly 19 thousand
infections in the past 24 hours.

FOOTBALL Romania’s national football side tonight plays Iceland in an away game counting
towards the semis of the qualification playoffs for the European Championship
next year. If they qualify, on November 12th, the Romanians will be
up against the winner of the match pitching Hungary against Bulgaria. Romania
tops the 1B group of the Nations League after a one-all draw against Northern
Ireland and a 3-2 win against Austria. The group also includes Norway, which
the Romanians will be playing on Sunday in an away game. On Friday, Romania’s
under 21 side plays Ukraine in a match counting towards the Euro Under 21
preliminaries. Denmark tops the table with 19 points followed by Romania with
16.

COVID – 19 In the past 24 hours Romania has reported a record
number in Covid infections, 3130 cases with a death toll of 44, in a single
day. Intensive care units have reported 607 patients. Since the beginning of
the pandemic in late February over 145 thousand Romanians have been infected
with the novel coronavirus out of which over 113 thousand have been cured and
over 52 hundred died. At present roughly 83 hundred confirmed Covid patients
are being treated in hospitals and over 20 thousand are in home isolation. Authorities
have made fresh appeals for the observance of prevention and safety measures.
In Bucharest and in other areas where the infection rate has exceeded 1.5 cases
per thousand certain activities have been suspended. Restaurants have been
closed down and some indoor activities have ceased. People must wear mask close
to schools and other education facilities.

TALKS Two Romanian ministers are in the USA for talks with
the local authorities. Romania’s defence minister Nicolae Ciuca will be having
talks with the US secretary of Defence Mark Esper about the latest developments
in the Black Sea region as well as the need for coherent and consistent defence
and deterrence measures in the NATO eastern flank. The Romanian Minister of the
Economy, Energy and Business Environment, Virgil Popescu will be meeting the US
Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette for talks on the development of the energy
dimension of the strategic partnership between Bucharest and Washington and a
higher US involvement in Romania’s energy sector.

(bill)