COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The
\ncoronavirus death toll in Romania stands at 1.223 people. 165 new cases have
\nbeen reported in the last 24h, bringing their total number to some 18.600, the
\nGroup for Strategic Communication announced. Over 90% of the victims had at
\nleast one other medical condition, the National Institute for Public Health
\nreports. Over 3.000 Romanians abroad have tested positive for SARS CoV-2, the
\nhighest numbers being reported in Italy, Spain, Germany, Great Britain and
\nFrance. Of them 100 have died. 30 hospitals in Romania have been aproved for
\ntaking part in a study on plasma-based treatment. Plasma taken from patients
\nwho have recovered after being infected with COVID can be administered to
\npatients in critical condition only in certain circumstances.<\/p>\n
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COVID-19 WORLDWIDE – The total
\nnumber of people infected with coronavirus has reached 5.7 million globally.
\n352.000 people have died to the virus, while over 2.4 million patients have
\nrecovered. The death toll in the United States has exceeded 100.000, while
\nBrazil has reported 1.000 deaths in 24h. The death toll has risen to 37.000 in
\nGreat Britain, while the virus has killed 33.000 people in Italy. Spain has
\nbegun a 10-day mourning period for the victims of COVID-19, some 27.000 people.
\nOn the other hand, European countries continue to ease restrictions. As of
\ntoday, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary have reopened their common
\nborders with special travel conditions. Beaches have reopened in Spain and the
\nUnited States, while Japan has lifted the state of emergency. Mosques in Iran
\nare now open, while people in Greece can again eat in taverns and restaurants.
\nAustria has authorized sports activities with a maximum number of 300 people,
\nwhile in Moscow shops will reopen and people can go for short walks around the
\ncity. Poland has sanctioned public gatherings with a maximum number of 150
\npeople. <\/p>\n
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DEFENSE – Public policies in
\nthe field of national security will be conceived and implemented to the benefit
\nof the citizen only, so Romanians should feel safe and trust the institutions
\nare there to defend and protect them, President Klaus Iohannis said on the
\nsidelines of the country’s Supreme Defense Council meeting. On Tuesday the
\nCouncil adopted the 2020-2024 National Defense Strategy. The strategy was
\ndevised to deal with a pandemic that affected the entire world and has
\ngenerated a profound economic crisis, the President pointed out. The strategy
\nalso tackles foreign policy, public order, education, healthcare, the economy,
\nthe environment, energy security and cyber security. The Strategic Partnership
\nwith the US as well as our country’s NATO and EU membership have been confirmed
\nas pillars of Romania’s foreign policy. The Council also decided to deploy
\n1.940 military and civilians for external operations and missions. <\/p>\n
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RECOVERY
\nPLAN – The European Commission wants Member States to back a \u20ac2.4 trillion economic recovery plan,
\nCommission President Ursula von der Leyen said. The bailout package consists of
\nloans under three financial chapters as well as non-refundable aid. One
\ninstrument, dubbed Next Generation EU, amounts to \u20ac750 billion, will address
\nthe countries the most affected by the pandemic. Romania has been allotted \u20ac33
\nbillion. The plan has been met with reluctance in the Netherlands, Denmark,
\nAustria and Sweden, the so-called Frugal Four, who are reluctant to give away
\nmoney as grants. The Commission will discuss the plan at the EU Summit of June
\n18-19. <\/p>\n
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ECONOMY
\n– The Government has adopted several measures to help the business sector
\nrecover after the COVID pandemic. One measure is meant to simplify a financial
\nrescue plan addressing SMEs. The measures adopted in the last two months and a
\nhalf have had a huge impact on the budget, tantamount to 1.5% of the GDP,
\nFinance Minister Florin Citu has said. The Government has also greenlit the
\ndisbursement of additional funds to cover lockdown-related costs and other
\nmeasures in the field of healthcare. <\/p>\n
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MOTION -
\nIn Bucharest the Chamber of Deputies passed the simple motion against Education
\nMinister Monica Anisie. Filed by the Social-Democratic Party and the leftist
\nPro Romania Party, both in opposition, the document claims Minister Anisie has
\nbrought the education system on the verge of chaos due to her incompetence or
\ndisinterest. The opposition wants the Education Minister gone, saying she lacks
\nvision and strategy. In turn, Monica Anisie claims the education system cannot
\nnavigate the challenges faced by the current generation, as it is held back by
\nconservative canons that undervalue students’ skills. The Minister rebuked
\nformer Social-Democratic Education Minister for their failure to implement
\ne-schooling. <\/p>\n
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(Translated by V. Palcu & E. Enache)<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A roundup of domestic and international news<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":75903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[35374,35547,29053,28945,35542,30130,32263],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-104359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsflash","tag-covid-19","tag-economic-recovery-plan","tag-european-commission","tag-klaus-iohannis","tag-monica-anisie","tag-simple-motion","tag-supreme-defense-council"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n