July 21, 2021

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Newsroom, 21.07.2021, 13:55

COVID-19 The number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Romania is relatively low, but authorities expect a slight increase in the coming period. 102 new infection cases and 2 related casualties were reported on Wednesday out of over 27,000 tests performed. 38 patients are in intensive care. As regards the anti-Covid vaccination, more than 16,600 people got immunized in the past 24 hours. 4.7 million Romanians have been fully vaccinated so far. Romania will continue, both independently and at EU level, to donate or re-sell some vaccine doses. This week a new donation to the Republic of Moldova is scheduled, after batches sent previously to Serbia, Ukraine, Argentina and Vietnam.

GOVERNMENT The government of Romania convenes today in a meeting scheduled to focus, among other things, on a regulation concerning the provision of financial aid for the purchase of computers. The draft resolution regulates the issue of 200-euro vouchers to be distributed to youth, and the identification data required of the beneficiaries. The governments agenda also includes regulations concerning the annual budgets of several public institutions. PM Florin Cîţu said a resolution will also be passed in todays meeting, granting the funds for reconstruction works already initiated in the places affected by natural disasters since the beginning of the year. To address the damages occurring in the past few days, the PM requested a quick assessment so that the funds may be earmarked in the mid-year budget adjustment.

MILITARY A military ceremony was held today in central Bucharest, at the Arch of Triumph, to mark the completion of the Romanian Armys mission in Afghanistan. President Klaus Iohannis decorated the battle flags of the Romanian units that took part in the NATO mission Resolute Support in Afghanistan. A moment of silence was observed, and the names of the 27 Romanian troops who died in that theatre of operations were recited. The head of state emphasized that the Romanian Armed Forces mission in Afghanistan will be remembered as the longest, most complex and most important military operation outside national borders since WW2. According to Iohannis, for 19 years over 32,000 troops took part in this mission.

DEFICIT Romanias agri-food trade deficit went up nearly 66% in the first quarter of this year compared to the corresponding period of 2020. According to the Romanian Agriculture Ministry, in January – March 2021 Romania exported agricultural and food products worth 1.74 billion euro and spent almost 2.5 billion euro on importing such products.

MIGRANTS Six migrants from Afghanistan, Syria and Algeria were caught by Romanian authorities in the last 24 hours trying to cross the border illegally into Hungary. According to the Romanian Border Police, 4 of the migrants were found in a lorry headed for the Netherlands, another one in a truck going to Denmark, while a 6th was trying to walk over the border. Investigations are under way in all 6 cases.

FOOTBALL Romanias football champions CFR Cluj Tuesday defeated 2-1 away from home the Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar, in the second preliminary round of the Champions League. On Thursday CS Universitatea Craiova will take on the Albanian side KF Laci, while Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe will play against Spartak Trnava of Slovakia, in the second preliminary round of the newly created Europa Conference League. Also playing in the second preliminary round are Romanias vice-champions FCSB, who will take on Shahtior Karaganda of Kazakhstan. The first leg is scheduled for 22 July, and the second leg a week later.

TENNIS Irina Bara (Romania) / Varvara Lepchenko (USA) Tuesday qualified in the quarter-finals of the doubles competition in Gdynia (Poland), after defeating 7-6 , 7-6 the Polish players Ania Hertel/Martyna Kubka. Bara and Lepchenko are to play next against seeds no. 3 Ana Danilina (Kazakhstan) / Lidia Morozova (Belarus). In the singles tournament, Bara is up against Kristina Kucova (Slovakia) in the 8th-finals, while another Romanian player, Irina Begu, seed no. 3, takes on Katarzyna Kawa of Poland. (tr. A.M. Popescu)