May 16, 2021 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 16.05.2021, 20:00
EDUCATION – Starting on Monday, Romanian students will no longer have to wear face masks in the schoolyards. According to Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu, over 2 and a half million children in 2,500 localities will attend classes physically, as the Covid infection rate dropped below 1 to one thousand residents. Some 300,000 pupils from 650 localities, including the capital Bucharest, will stay in the yellow scenario, with only primary school children and those ending a school cycle going to school physically, while all others will attend classes online. If cases of Covid-19 are reported among pupils in a classroom, physical classes will be suspended and will be held exclusively online. The minister has also stated that the syllabus for this years exams has been adapted, due to the fact that most children attended online classes, but that the level of difficulty of the National Assessment and Baccalaureate examinations will remain the same.
VACCINE – Romania will receive another batch of 697,320 doses of anti-Covid vaccine from Pfizer BioNTech company, which will be transported by plane to airports in Bucharest, Cluj and Timisoara. Since the start of the vaccination campaign, more than 3.8 million people have been immunized with at least one of the vaccines and almost 6.5 million doses have been administered. The coordinator of the immunization campaign, Valeriu Gheorghita, asked mayors to find additional ways for immunization, adjusted to the specificity of their communities. Figures reflecting the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic in Romania continue to be positive. On Sunday, authorities announced 565 new cases of Covid-19 after almost 18,750 tests were performed. The Strategic Communication Group reported 38 new related deaths. Some 777 people are treated in intensive care units. The capital Bucharest and all counties are in the green zone with less than 1.5 cases per one thousand residents.
CONFLICT — The Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said that around 320-350 Romanian citizens are in the Gaza Strip and that the diplomatic missions in the region are ready to assist them. No assistance requests by Romanians in conflict areas have been received so far, the minister said. Aurescu said on a TV station that Romania firmly condemns the air strikes from the Gaza Strip on Israeli civilian zones and voiced his deep regret at the loss of human lives. He also said Romania has “exceptionally good” ties with Israel which is a strategic partner of Romania, and “very good” relations with the Palestinians. EU foreign ministers will hold an emergency video conference on Tuesday on the escalation of violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
PANDEMIC — Italy lifted on Sunday the 5-day mandatory quarantine for European tourists and enforced some relaxation measures. In order to enter Italy, a quick negative antigen test taken 48 hours prior departure must be provided, even by travelers vaccinated with two doses. Greece has also officially opened the tourist season for foreigners. Greek authorities require proof of full vaccination, a negative Covid tests or a proof of having had the disease maximum 9 months prior to entering Greece. Greek authorities can also perform random Covid tests at check points. Poland opens restaurants and bars outdoors and relaxes mask wearing rules. More than 163 million people across the globe have been infected with Covid-19 so far and at least 3.3 million people have died, according to worldometers.info. Most cases and deaths were recorded in the US, India and Brazil. (EE)
