COVID-19 IN ROMANIA -
\n1.850 new cases of COVID-19 infection were reported on Thursday in Romania
\nafter some 35,000 tests, the Group for Strategic Communication announced.
\nAnother 138 related fatalities were also reported, while 1,295 people are
\ncurrently in intensive care. Over 1,050,000 people have tested positive for
\nCOVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and 27,971 people have died to the
\nvirus. The infection rate continues to exceed 3 per thousand inhabitants in the
\ncapital city Bucharest and in Ilfov and Cluj counties, although the numbers are
\ndropping steadily. On the other hand, the Government’s special committee for
\nrelaxing measures starting June 1 convened again to highlight the need for
\nadapting relaxation measures depending on the specificity of each field of
\nactivity. Representatives of associations and employers’ associations made
\nclear-cut proposals for the organization of cultural events with the observance
\nof health safety regulations. The committee also discussed the gradual
\nreopening of hotels and restaurants as more and more people get vaccinated. All
\nproposals will be analyzed, starting today, by think-tanks that will address
\neach specific field. Meanwhile, the authorities are accelerating the
\nvaccination campaign. New vaccination centers will open this week. Some 84
\nthousand people got immunized yesterday. <\/p>\n
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COVID-19 IN THE WORLD -
\nThe international community is rallying to support India, a week after this
\ncountry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily record-high numbers
\nof infections and fatalities and a health system under duress. The biggest
\nconcern is the so-called Indian strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which spreads
\nrapidly and could be even more contagious and vaccine- and treatment-resistant
\nthan other strains, the WHO has warned. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion
\npeople, India has reported 200 thousand deaths and over 18 million infections
\nsince the start of the outbreak. Some experts believe numbers could be even
\nhigher. Great Britain has been sending oxygen concentrators and other medical
\nequipment, while the United States will be shipping 60 million doses of the
\nAstraZeneca vaccine. Romania has joined this international effort and delivered
\n200 oxygen concentrators via a Romanian Air Force Spartan aircraft. <\/p>\n
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HOLIDAY -Before the May 1st mini-holiday,
\nwhich this year coincides with the Orthodox Easter holiday, Prime Minister
\nFlorin C\u00ee\u0163u calls on the population to keep observing anti-coronavirus sanitary
\nrules, even if Romania is now on a descending slope of the third wave of the
\npandemic. He has urged the prefects and the police to take all measures to
\nensure compliance with the health rules in place. In the Romanian resorts on
\nthe Black Sea, over 30 thousand tourists are expected during the mini-holiday
\nof May 1 and Easter. About 100 hotels will be opened, many of them already occupied
\nat 70% capacity, the maximum allowed by the authorities. Tourists are not
\nallowed to party on the beach, and wearing a mask is mandatory.<\/p>\n
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PNNR -
\nThe leaders of the center-right ruling coalition in Bucharest have adopted the
\nNational Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNNR) worth 29 billion Euro. The plan
\nwill be presented in Brussels starting May 10, when the final negotiations with
\nEuropean Commission representatives are due to take place. Prime Minister
\nFlorin C\u00ee\u0163u said none of the proposed projects will be discarded. In turn,
\nMinister for Investment and European Projects, Cristian Ghinea, said funding
\nfor certain investment has been reduced, while budget appropriations have been
\nreadjusted to reflect the Commission’s recommendations. <\/p>\n
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PASSION
\nWEEK – Orthodox and Eastern-Orthodox Christians in Romania today
\nmark Maundy Thursday, the fourth day of Passion Week when they recall the
\nLord’s Supper, the arrest and trial of Jesus. Passion Week precedes the Resurrection of
\nJesus Christ and marks a time of humbleness and spiritual cleansing ahead of
\nthe biggest celebration in the Christian calendar. Tonight, Orthodox believers
\nwill attend a special mass where the 12 Gospels will be read, covering the last
\nmoments in the life of Jesus, from the Lord’s Supper to his crucifixion. In his
\nlast supper, Jesus Christ laid the foundations for the Holy Eucharist, offering
\nChristians the possibility to partake in the Body and Blood of the Lord. On the
\nsame day, according to Gospel of John, Jesus withdrew to Gethsemane Garden to
\npray. Betrayed by Judas, he was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin and
\nsentenced to death for blasphemy. <\/p>\n
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UNEMPLOYMENT -
\nThe unemployment rate stood at 5.5% in March, down by 0.2% compared to
\nFebruary, a National Statistics Institute report reads. The number of
\nunemployed aged 15-74 stood at 464 thousand in March, compared to 478 thousand
\nthe previous month. Broken down in terms of gender, unemployed men account for
\n5.7%, compared to 5.2% for women. The number of unemployed aged 24-74 account for
\n75.1% of the estimated number of unemployed in March. <\/p>\n
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SURVEY -
\nRomanians fear the economic crisis or corruption more than the COVID-19
\npandemic or the outbreak of an armed conflict. It’s one of the findings of the
\nSecurity Survey published by the Romanian Academy’s Center for Sociological
\nResearch. According to the survey, 43% of respondents believe Romania has been
\na safe country after its NATO accession, while 37% said they felt safe during
\nthe communist period. As regards public confidence in state institutions, 72%
\nof Romanians put their trust in the Army, followed by the Church with a 57%
\nshare and the Foreign Ministry with 50%. <\/p>\n
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US -
\nThe United States’ return to the international stage, the response to the
\nCOVID-19 pandemic, the economic recovery plan, as well as firm warnings against
\nRussia and China, were some of the highlights of US president Joe Biden’s first
\naddress to the joint session of Congress. Now, after just 100 days, I can
\nreport to the nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into
\npossibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength, the White House
\nleader said. According to Radio Romania’s Washington correspondent, Joe Biden
\nalso addressed a message to Russian president Vladimir Putin, insisting that
\nRussia’s actions will have consequences. (V.P.)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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