July 29, 2020

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 29.07.2020, 13:55

COVID-19
IN ROMANIA – The National Committee for Emergency Situations has proposed face
masks should become compulsory in open-air spaces during certain intervals.
Once public health directorates have issued an opinion on this matter, local
authorities will decide where the measure will be introduced and during which
hours. Exempt from this rule will be people carrying out strenuous physical
activity or working in areas with high temperatures and humidity, as well as
children under 5 years of age. The Committee also wants to ban the selling of
foodstuffs and soft drinks during 11 PM and 6 AM. Outside this interval,
economic operators are forbidden from admitting a number of clients higher than
the maximum number of seats and must ban activities entailing physical
interactions between clients. On beaches, people must observe a minimum
two-meter distance, with the exception of families. The Government has taken
under advisement the Committee’s recommendations and will make a decision soon.
Meanwhile the number of new infections has exceeded 1.000 for the eighth
consecutive day. Over 48.200 people have been infected so far. 7.000 people are
in hospital care, of whom 377 in intensive care. 2.269 people have died.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Nearly 17 million
people have been infected so far with SARS CoV2 worldwide, the latest
worldometers.info report shows. Some 664 thousand people died and 10.5 million
people have recovered. While efforts continue to develop a vaccine, several
Governments are imposing harsher measures to prevent a second wave of the
pandemic. The World Health Organization is urging countries to do mass-testing
and see that the population observes precautionary measures. The United States
on Tuesday reported nearly 1.600 deaths, the highest in the last two and a half
months, reads a John Hopkins University report. Also on Tuesday the US reported
60.000 new infections, after a slight decrease in the last two days. Some 4.3
million people have been infected with COVID-19 in the United States, and 149.000
people have died so far to the virus. In Europe, Italy has extended the state
of emergency until October 15. Great Britain has introduced compulsory
quarantine for all arrivals from Spain. Germany too has introduced some regions
of Spain on its so-called ‘black list’. Madrid is now the latest region in
continental Spain where face masks are compulsory in open spaces as well.
Bulgaria is now demanding citizens from 10 states to provide proof of a
negative test against COVID-19, which has to be no older than 72 hours at the
time of entry. In Greece, face masks are again compulsory in stores, banks,
public service buildings and in other enclosed spaces.

FUNDS – Romania’s
President, Klaus Iohannis, is today holding a new meeting focusing on European
funds. According to the Presidency, attending are several members of the
Government, including Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, Deputy-Prime Minister Raluca
Turcan, Finance Minister Florin Citu, Economy Minister Virgil Popescu, Minister
of European Funds Marcel Bolos and Transport Minister Lucian Bode. The
absorption of European funds was also discussed in last week’s Government
meeting in Bucharest. The president recently said that the €80 billion the
European Commission has allotted Romania will be used for economic
reconstruction. The money will be disbursed from the 2021-2027 multi-annual EU
budget and from the post-COVID-19 economic recovery plan.

DEFENSE – Romania’s Defense
Minister, Nicolae Ciuca, and the Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant-General
Daniel Petrescu, today met with Lieutenant-General Eric P. Wendt, Commander of
the NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ). According to a Ministry
release, talks focused on hot topics on the NATO agenda, including Allied
efforts to contain the coronacrisis. Minister Nicolae Ciuca hailed NSHQ’s
substantial contribution to Romanian military deployed to the Resolute Support
mission in Afghanistan. The Romanian official said cooperation is excellent
between NSHQ and Romanian forces, both during drills as well as in theatres of
operations.

NATIONAL ANTHEM DAY – Every year, on
July 29, Romania celebrates National Anthem Day. This year the event is marked
by public authorities and other state institutions by means of specific
cultural events and actions and military ceremonies, organized bythe Ministries
of Defense and the Interior, while strictly observing COVID-prevention
measures. As part of ceremonies held in Bucharest and other large cities, the
national anthem will be performed while the flag is being raised. This year,
famous pan flute player Nicolae Voiculet will be performing the national
anthem, Awaken thee, Romanian! at 2.300 meters by the Heroes’ Cross in Bucegi
Mountains, alongside 40 other artists. Celebrated on July 29, the National
Anthem Day was proclaimed in 1998. Romania’s current anthem, Awaken thee,
Romanian!, is considered a national symbol after the fall of the communist
regime in December 1989. On music by Anton Pann, the anthem was inspired by a
patriotic poem by Andrei Muresanu in 1848.

(Translated
by V. Palcu)