July 12, 2020
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 12.07.2020, 14:00
COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Another 456 new infections were announced
in Romania on Sunday by the Group for Strategic Communication, taking the total
number of infected to 32.535. 23.387 people infected with COVID-19 have
recovered, while 1.884 people have died. 243 patients are now in intensive
care. Liberal Prime Minister Ludovic Orban says the state is virtually
incapacitated in dealing with the pandemic, after the Senate on Saturday
postponed the debate and vote on a Government bill on isolation and quarantine.
On Thursday, the Chamber of Deputies passed the law in a heavily modified form.
The Social-Democrats in opposition claim the law infringes on citizens’ rights
and liberties, calling on the Prime Minister, Justice Minister and
representatives of the Superior Council of Magistracy and human rights
associations to attend the debate in the Senate.
RESTRICTIONS – Greek
authorities have suspended until Tuesday the electronic platform for traveller
registration, ahead of changing border crossing regulations for land entries.
As of Wednesday morning, Romanian tourists will have to provide proof of a
negative test against COVID-19, no older than 72 hours. The documentation must
be in English and contain the traveller’s identification data. The Romanian
Foreign Ministry recalls this test does not exclude the obligation of
completing the online form or being subject to random testing at the border.
Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has called on the 120 centers doing corona testing
in the country to take priority in testing tourists with planned holidays in
Greece. On social media many Romanians have already announced their readiness
to give up their holidays, mostly due to the expenses associated with voluntary
testing. Other EU countries have announced restrictions for Romanian citizens.
People with holiday plans in Austria need documents proving they tested
negative for SARS CoV2, which must be no older than 4 days at the time of
entry. The document needs to be translated into German and English and be
accompanied by proof of accommodation in this country. Anyone failing to
provide the said documentation will be placed in isolation for 14 days. As of
Monday, Lithuania will deny access to Romanians, with the exception of people
on transit to Romania.
MIGRANTS – Two Serbian
nationals, who helped 13 Syrians illegally cross into Romania, were picked up
on Saturday night by the Romanian border police and are now being investigated
for migrant trafficking. The Syrian citizens, nine men and four women, are aged
17-30. The Serbian drivers were planning on taking them to Western Europe in
exchange for €900. The Romanian Border Police has advised citizens against
transporting unknown people in border areas and to notify the authorities
whenever they are presented with such requests.
WEATHER ALERTS – The National Meteorological
Administration has issued a code yellow alert against extreme weather phenomena,
in place until Sunday night for three quarters of Romania’s territory. During
the interval, the west, north and center of the country will see heavy
rainfalls, thunderstorms, strong wind and hail. Meteorologists expected flash
floods in these areas as well.
TENNIS – Tennis
player Simona Halep, world no. 2 has confirmed her participation in the WTA
tournament in Palermo, Italy, the first in the WTA circuit after the long
hiatus caused by the coronacrisis. In a video posted on social media, she said
she would take part in the competition in Sicily, which will be played on clay
court over August 3-9. Halep played her last match in February, in the final of
the tournament in Dubai, which she won against Elena Rybakina of Khazakstan. Oliveiro
Palma, the director of the tournament in Palermo, said Halep’s
participation is exceptional news, it had been decades since Palermo last
hosted a former No.1.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
