May 2, 2020 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 02.05.2020, 19:37
CORONAVIRUS ROMANIA — Romania has not reached the peak of the coronavirus epidemic and the moment when restrictions are eased will largely depend on how people observe social distancing measures during the 3-day holiday that started on May 1st, Health Minister Nelu Tataru has said. He has also said that there are still hotbeds of infection and that over 13 hundred medical staff have been infected across the country. The minister continues his inspection to hospitals in northern Romania to assess their capacity to deal with the pandemic. The death toll from coronavirus in Romania is 771. The number of confirmed infections exceeds at 12,700, with over 4,500 people having recovered. More than 2,300 Romanians have been infected abroad, of whom 93 have died. Flights from Romania to Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, the US, Britain, the Netherlands, Turkey and Iran will further be suspended until the 14th of May. In another development, the mission of an aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces that was supposed to transport 90 thousand protective masks from Romania to Spain on Saturday has been postponed by one day, due to technical problems, the Romanian Defense Ministry has announced.
PANDEMIC — The global death toll from COVID-19 exceeded 239 thousand, with 3.3 million people infected, according to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. China, the country where the epidemic started has reported only 1 new infection. The US has reported 18 hundred deaths in the last 24 hours, which takes the death toll in this country to almost 65 thousand. Restrictions were eased as of Saturday in several European countries such as Spain and Italy. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Rome, 4.5 million people will go to work on Monday in Italy.
EDUCATION – Romanian Education Minister Monica Anisie does not rule out the scenario of schools being closed also in September. She has explained that the ministry will make sure, until autumn, that all students have tablets or laptops and that teachers and professors receive the necessary training to hold online classes. Anisie said the Education Ministry will also prepare video lessons. Classes will not be resumed during this school year in Romania, except for the 8th and 12th graders who will return to school for their final exams.
PRESS FREEDOM – On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, celebrated on Sunday, the 3rd of May, the EU High Representative Josep Borrell, made public a message on behalf of the European Union. He said, among other things, that in too many countries journalists have to contend with restrictive legislation, sometimes ascribed to the COVID-19 emergency that curbs freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. Also, Internet shutdowns and website closures are proliferating. “The EU strongly reaffirms its continued support for the key role of independent and reliable media all around the world. Press freedom is a right, not just of media professionals, but of each and every one of us,” the message also reads.
TOURISM – Romanian Finance Minister Florin Citu has said he will meet with representatives of the tourism industry next week, to discuss measures to support this sector that has been seriously affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The minister said that, besides facilities granted under the IMM Invest program, the payment of technical unemployment and postponement of interest rate payments, tourism operators also need specific measures to restart their businesses. Travel agencies representatives say that the sector lost around 60 million euros on May 1st alone, which is the day when the summer season officially opened on the Black Sea coast. More than 30 thousand tourists spent May 1st there last year.
INTEREST RATES – Natural persons and companies in Romania faced with financial difficulties can ask for a postponement of their interest rate payments, until the end of May, according to the Government’s Emergency Order. A request in this respect should be submitted via email, over the phone or printed. Around 260 thousand natural persons and 10 thousand companies have so far submitted applications for the postponement of the interest rate payments. Banks in Romania have as clients around 1.5 million natural persons and 100 thousand companies. (Translated by Elena Enache)
