September 29, 2021
A news roundup
Newsroom, 29.09.2021, 13:55
Covid — Romania reports a record number of contaminations and deaths since the onset of the pandemic, after on Tuesday the authorities announced over 11,000 new SARS-CoV-2 contaminations, out of over 73 thousand tests, the number of tests performed also being a record. The number of deaths has sharply increased, going over 200, and the number of hospitalized COVID patients went beyond 11,400, double the number reported two weeks ago. 1,267 patients were in ICUs on Tuesday, where only 26 beds were still available. The authorities have drawn an alarm signal on the Rovaccinare Facebook page, announcing that Romania ranks 2nd in Europe and 6th in the world in relation to the number of Covid-related deaths in 24 hours. Against the background of an alarming increase in the number of SARS-CoV-2 contaminations on Tuesday, the 3rd vaccine dose started being administered in Romania, with mRNA Covid vaccines alone, irrespective of the type of the first two doses.
Compensation — The Romanian Government is going to establish, today, the mechanism to compensate for the rise in energy bill prices, experienced everywhere in Europe. Natural gas tariffs have almost tripled in recent months, and the government wants to support families with average income and average consumption and SMEs. 13 million Romanians should be the beneficiaries of an emergency decree, which will complete the Law on the Vulnerable Consumer. High on the agenda of the government meeting are other laws among which increasing the health ministry’s budget with 460 million lei, the equivalent of almost 100 million Euros, in order to face the 4th pandemic wave.
Protest — Tens of trucks, brought by 3 road transport employers associations, are parked in front of the Government building in Bucharest, as part of a protest against the government’s policy. The protesters are dissatisfied with the taxation of freight drivers’ daily allowance, the prices of compulsory car insurance and the quarantine measures for drivers. These would have a significant negative impact on the competitiveness of Romanian carriers within the EU, already severely affected by the new provisions of European legislation brought by the Mobility Package 1. Protesters also claim that Romania is the only European state to tax the per diem, while other ex-communist Eastern European countries such as Poland, Lithuania and Hungary protect their carriers. According to the protesters, the effects of this measure are devastating, especially since taxation is retroactive, as companies will find it impossible to pay penalties.
Exhibition — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is, today and tomorrow, on an official visit to Spain. His visit takes place in the context of the anniversary, in 2021, of 140 years of bilateral diplomatic relations. The visit schedule includes political consultations with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, and the launch, together with him, of the bilingual anniversary album dedicated to the anniversary of 140 years of Romanian-Spanish diplomatic relations. The two officials will discuss ways to develop and deepen the bilateral relationship, which in 2013 moved to the level of Strategic Partnership, as well as current European, regional, international and security issues. On Thursday, Bogdan Aurescu will inaugurate the exhibition Archaeological Treasures from Romania. Dacian and Roman roots at the National Archeology Museum in Madrid. The exhibition brings together 835 exceptional exhibits from the collections of 39 museums from Romania and will close in late January 2022.
Chisinau– The President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, begins today a two-day visit to the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), where he wants to assert his support for the reforms initiated by his counterpart, Maia Sandu. According to the German presidential administration, Steinmeier is accompanied by a delegation of businessmen and they are going to open an economic forum with President Sandu. Maia Sandu, who became president of Moldova after the November 2020 presidential election, is pleading for closer ties between Moldova and the European Union. She wants to fight corruption and stop mass emigration, which has caused serious problems for Moldovas economy. She took over the presidency from the pro-Russian socialist Igor Dodon. (LS)
