March 26, 2021 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 26.03.2021, 20:00
RESTRICTIONS – Covid infections are rising again in Romania, where more than 6,500 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours, authorities reported on Friday. 12 counties are in the red zone, with an infection rate of more than 3 cases per 1,000 residents. Of them, the capital Bucharest has 6.67 cases per thousand inhabitants while Ilfov county, near the capital city, exceeded 8 per thousand people, the highest rate in Romania. Also on Friday, authorities announced 116 covid-related fatalities and 1364 patients in intensive care. The Romanian Government adopted, on Thursday evening, new restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus. They will take effect as of March 28, PM Florin Citu announced, to allow business operators to make adjustments to their working schedule. Movement outside the home is banned from 8 pm at the weekend and from 10 pm during weekdays and shops will be closing at 6 pm in places where the infection rate surpasses 4 cases per 1,000 residents. Where the infection rate passes 7.5, the movement restrictions for the weekend will also apply during weekdays. As an exception, movement will be permitted until 2 am on Passover and Catholic and Orthodox Easter.
FOREIGN POLICY — The Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, held consultations on Friday with his Slovenian counterpart, Anze Logar, during an official visit he paid to Ljubljana. Talks focused on bilateral cooperation in the context of Slovenia’s taking over, on July 1, of the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. After the meeting, the Romanian official said that, against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of unity and solidarity among states was emphasized, in order to overcome together this kind of challenges. Aurescu also mentioned Romania’s goals to join the Schengen area and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and thanked Slovenia for its constant support in this respect.
PROTEST — The Bucharest underground service was down Friday morning because of a spontaneous sprotest of metro trade unionists, a move deemed illegal by Transport Minister Catalin Drula. The Minister announced he filed a criminal complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Directorate as regards this protest. In his turn, Interior Minister Lucian Bode said the protest, in spite of being spontaneous, was illegal during the state of alert. He said he asked the Interior Ministry structures to apply the law and gave assurances a criminal investigation would be opened against those considered responsible for it. The protest came only one day after the administrator of these commercial spaces, a firm owned by a trade union, was notified that these spaces must be freed and handed over to the administrator of the underground transport network by 2nd April. The Bucharest Underground Company Metrorex says some of the commercial activities carried out in metro stations are blocking evacuation exits and may pose a danger to peoples safety in case of emergency. The representatives of the trade union that organised the strike replied that all shops inside metro stations were set up in keeping with the law and with the approval of Metrorex, and that 80% of them are owned by metro trade unions. Some 700,000 people use the Bucharest metro every day.
CLOCK CHANGE – The European Parliament urges stepping up efforts to respond to a call from EU citizens to give up plans to change clocks in EU member states. In March 2019, MEPs voted to discontinue the practice of changing clocks by one hour in spring and autumn from 2021. According to the European Parliament, two years later, the EU Council is yet to propose a common position. 84% of EU citizens are in favour of ending the clock changes, which many studies say have negative effects on human health, emphasised the rapporteur for the European Parliament Johan Danielsson shortly before EU countries are due to switch to summer time. For the new rules to become EU law, they must be adopted by both Parliament and the European ministers.
FOOTBALL – Romania defeated North Macedonia on Thursday evening in Bucharest in their first World Cup qualifying match. Romania will next be facing group favourites Germany, who defeated Iceland on Thursday, 3-nil. In another group match, Armenia defeated Liechtenstein 1-nil. Group winners are ensured qualification for the World Cup, while the second-placed sides will go into play-offs. In other football news, Romanias Under-21 side will be playing Hungary on Saturday as part of the European Under-21 Football Championship hosted by Hungary jointly with Slovenia. In their opening championship match, Romania drew 1-all against The Netherlands. Germany are also in their group. (EE)
