March 21, 2020 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 21.03.2020, 19:29
Covid-19 Romania Romanias President Klaus Iohannis has urged all Romanians to show responsibility and observe the rules imposed by authorities, against the background of the coronavirus pandemic. He has stated he was very much impressed with the large number of people willing to support doctors, hospitals and people in difficulty. In another move, the Government has announced more severe punishments for the crime of hampering the prevention of the spread of the epidemic and for false declarations about the coronavirus pandemic. The decision to harshen such penalties was taken after many people placed in isolation did not observe the measure and many lied to the authorities in order to avoid quarantine, although they had come from red zones. The new punishments can go as far as 15 years in prison. 367 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed in Romania. Of them 52 have been cured. Outside Romanias borders, 7 Romanians have died of Covid-19, 6 in Italy and one in France. So far, 30 Romanians abroad have been infected, 23 in Italy, 2 in Namibia and one each in Spain, Luxembourg, Ireland, Tunis and France.
Workers The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that 227 Romanians, who used to be seasonal workers in Italy, were brought back home by plane on Saturday. They were repatriated with the help of two planes, operated by a private company. Against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic, the foreign ministry has called on the population to avoid any unnecessary journeys and urged the Romanians tourists who are temporarily abroad to come back urgently. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the Romanian citizens residing abroad must strictly abide by the recommendations made by those countries authorities and avoid travelling to Romania.
Pandemic The EC President Ursula von der Leyen has announced that the rules on EU budget discipline have been suspended, in order to allow the member states to spend whatever is necessary in the fight against the pandemic. One of the obligations that the members states no longer have to meet is keep the budget deficit below 3% of the GDP. The EU finance ministers are expected to validate the measure in a video-conference next week. Covid-19 has so far killed more than 11,400 people. In Europe, the pandemic keeps spreading. Italy is now the most affected country in the world, with more than 4000 deaths. Also very much affected, after Italy and China, are Iran, Spain, France and the US, where New York has become the epicenter of the crisis.
Central Bank The Romanian Central Bank has decided to reduce the key interest rate from 2.5% to 2% as of Monday, and has also taken other measures against the background of the problems triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Central Banks board has decided to inject liquidities into the banking system in order to ensure a better funding of the economy and the purchase of bonds from the banks that own them. Another measure is to narrow the interest corridor from 1% to 0.5%. Therefore, the penalty interest for banks drops from 3.5% to 2.5%.
Equipment Romanian army researchers have designed an isolation stretcher that has been tested and approved, and its production will start soon. The National Defense Ministry has announced that the new equipment ensures the temporary isolation and safe transportation of people suspected or confirmed as being infected with the new coronavirus. It has a filtered-air ventilation system and meets all safety standards to avoid contamination during transportation. (M.Ignatescu)
