Talks on the green pass
The green pass may become compulsory at the workplace in Romania, a law in this respect being under debate in the Chamber of Deputies.
Corina Cristea, 15.11.2021, 13:50
In Romania, the green pass that proves the holder has been fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 must be presented upon entering most institutions, as well as malls, hypermarkets and restaurants. The measure has been in force for three weeks, and now authorities discuss its introduction at the workplace as well. Previously rejected by the Senate, the draft law is now being debated in the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case. Delaying this measure discourages vaccination, says the head of the Department for Emergencies, Raed Arafat.
In Romania, less than 40% of the eligible people have been vaccinated with at least one dose. Before the negative vote in the Senate, the desperate situation in hospitals and the prospect of not being allowed to go to work without the green pass prompted Romanians to rush to vaccination centers, with tens of thousands of immunizations per day being reported. In the past weeks however, the vaccination pace has dropped. The green pass cannot be compulsory at work, is unconstitutional, discriminatory and violates the Labor Code, say people who disagree with it and who have staged protests in cities across the country including the capital Bucharest. The protests in Suceava, in the northeast, with around 1,000 participants, were also attended by George Simion, co-president of the parliamentary party AUR.
The sanitary situation is worsening across the EU. More than 2 million new infections have been reported in the last week alone, according to the World Health Organization, which asked for the vaccination of vulnerable people to be sped up. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is expecting a 50% increase in the number of new Covid cases and related deaths in the upcoming two weeks, while a number of countries decided to reintroduce some restrictions. In Austria, as of Monday, unvaccinated people are no longer allowed to leave their homes for reasons other than shopping, sports and medical care. The police and the authorities will make unannounced verifications in the country. The capital Vienna has started the immunization of children aged 5 to 11, a first for this age group in Europe. Less than 65% of Austrians have been fully vaccinated so far, which is below the European average. Restrictions are also in place in the Netherlands, where the number of infections went up, although more than 82% of the population has been vaccinated, as well as in Norway, where all people aged over 18 will receive a third dose of the vaccine. In its turn, Germany, where the immunization rate is over 67%, has decided to return to remote work. (EE)
