April 8, 2021 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 08.04.2021, 20:00
STATE OF ALERT – The government decided on Thursday to approve the extension of the state of alert in Romania by 30 days and keep restrictive measures in place. However, restrictions will be eased for the upcoming Orthodox Easter so that believers can attend the religious service. The Muslims in the country also benefit the easing of restrictions during the Ramadan. Black Sea resorts will open at a capacity of 70%, just like mountain resorts. Almost 5,000 new coronavirus cases were recorded on Thursday in Romania, as well as 172 new deaths, while ICU cases hit a new high, at 1,495. Almost 2.2 million people have been given at least one shot of the Covid vaccine in Romania.
ASTRA ZENECA – A link between AstraZenecas Covid vaccine and rare blood clots is considered plausible but is not confirmed, said the World Health Organisation after the European Medicines Agency on Wednesday said it found a potential link between the Covid vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and rare blood clots in adults who received this jab. The Agency emphasized, however, that the benefits outweigh the risks. A number of states such as the UK, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy decided to limit the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine depending on age. Romania has not yet made any changes in this respect, with the exception that people who developed blood clots after the first dose will be given a different vaccine for their second dose.
HUMAN RIGHTS – Amnesty International writes in its annual report that human rights were violated all over the world during the Covid pandemic. The Covid crisis aggravated inequality, discrimination and oppression, the human rights watchdog also writes, warning that the worst affected were vulnerable groups such as chronic patients, refugees, healthcare workers and the minorities. In Romanias case, Amnesty International notes that the governments response raised human rights concerns, especially with regard to policing, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and the right to education.
ROMANI DAY – International Romani Day is celebrated every year on 8th April to recognize the culture, history and rights of the millions of Roma around the world and to warn on the discrimination still faced by Roma communities in Europe and elsewhere. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in a statement that a tolerant and open society must reject all forms of racist and xenophobic attitudes. He said that in these extremely complicated times marked by the grave consequences of the Covid pandemic, cherishing the contribution of each and every one of us to the common good and social solidarity can help us overcome the difficulties were are facing. Prime minister Florin Cîţu emphasized that Romanian society proved in its history that multicultural harmony is a source of “fulfillment and inspiration” and the traditions of each ethnic group add to the national cultural heritage.
JUDICIARY – The judicial committee of the Romanian Senate on Thursday began debates on a bill proposed by the government to dismantle a special department investigating crimes in the judiciary. On 24th March senators passed the bill with a few amendments, such as one providing that magistrates can only be indicted with the approval of the Superior Council of Magistrates. On Wednesday, the Social Democrats in opposition opposed the use of an emergency procedure to debate the bill and requested a detailed analysis following an opinion from the Venice Commission. The head of the Senates judicial committee, Iulia Scântei, says dismantling the department for the investigation of crimes in the judiciary is an emergency and will help Romanias case in the elimination of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. Created during the former Social Democrat government, the department was criticised as a means of exerting pressure on judges and prosecutors.
TENNIS – The Romanian-German pair Mihaela Buzărnescu and Anna-Lena Friedsam reached the doubles semifinals at a WTA tennis tournament in Bogota worth 235,000 dollars in prize money. They defeated the Russian-Chinese pair Iana Sizikova and Yafan Wang in straight sets and will next be facing either Arina Rodionova and Rosalie van der Hoek or Lara Arruabarrena and Katarzyna Piter. (CM)
