August 5, 2022 UPDATE

Newsroom, 05.08.2022, 20:36

REFUGEES – The Save the Children Romania organisation is opening seven counselling and information centres for Ukrainian children and their parents. More than 3,600 Ukrainian families will receive support for a period of three months, the organisation’s executive chief Gabriela Alexandrescu said. She said the war does not seem to come to an end and an increasing number of Ukrainian children are forced to leave their country. These children need solutions for the short and long term, they need educational integration, counselling and social integration programmes. The organisation continues to be present at border check points, to constantly assess the needs of the refugees and offer humanitarian assistance. According to the Eurostat, more than 70% of the Ukrainian refugee children who benefit temporary protection from the Romanian state are under 14. In another development, the EU has announced it evacuated 1,000 patients from Ukrainian hospitals and transferred them for treatment to 18 member countries, Romania included.

BANKS — The National Bank of Romania (BNR) on Friday decided to raise the monetary policy rate to the level of 5.50% per year, from 4.75% per year, starting August 8. Also increased was the lending (Lombard) facility rate to 6.50% per year from 5.75% per year and the deposit facility rate to 4.50% per year from 3.75% per year. BNR also decided to maintain firm control over money market liquidity and to keep the existing levels of minimum reserve requirement ratios on both national currency and foreign currency – denominated liabilities of the credit institutions. The annual inflation rate continued to go up in June, yet at a slower pace, as anticipated, climbing to 15.05% from 14.49% in the previous month, mainly due to the new hikes in processed food and fuel prices, partly offset by the drop in the price of vegetables, fruit and eggs.

UNTOLD – In Cluj-Napoca, north-western Romania, the UNTOLD electronic music festival, currently at its 7th edition, is under way. UNTOLD takes place in several locations, with the main stage placed in the Cluj Arena. The line-up includes the worlds best DJs, and the organisers expect nearly 400,000 people to attend. UNTOLD is one of the largest music festivals in the world. The theme of this year’s edition is “Temple of Luna”, an artistic concept that emphasizes the mythological dimension of Transylvania, seen as the land of night and magic.

CORONAVIRUS – More than 7,700 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Friday in Romania. Over 4,100 people are treated in hospital and almost 260 of them are in intensive care units. Authorities have reported 26 related deaths. dThe Health Ministry has announced that three military hospitals in Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca and Timis have reopened dedicated sectors for Covid patients.

SWIMMING — As many as 11 athletes, including double world champion David Popovici, will represent Romania at the European Swimming Championships in Rome, held between August 11 and 21. Popovici is the championship’s favourite in the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle race, which he also won in Budapest, earlier this year.

AIR FORCES – The Canadian Royal Air Force is conducting an air policing mission in Romania. According to the defence ministry, a unit of 180 troops and 6 CF-188 Hornet aircraft, will operate under NATO command in the next 4 months, jointly with Romanian Air Force units, while another 2 aircraft will take part in drills organised jointly with NATO allies. This is the 6th rotation of Canadian troops at Romanias Mihail Kogălniceanu air base since 2017. Canadian forces were also deployed in Câmpia Turzii in central Romania in 2014. The presence of the CF-188 Hornet aircraft in Romania is part of the action plan for ensuring NATO operational capability in the eastern flank, and proves the Alliances unity and determination in response to recent security challenges, the Romanian defence ministry said.