Romania prepares for fifth wave of Covid-19 pandemic
Fifth wave of the pandemic driven by the Omicron variant appears to have arrived in Romania as well, with new infections soaring.
Eugen Coroianu, 04.01.2022, 14:00
The Romanian political and medical
authorities are discussing the measures to prevent the serious epidemiological
situation caused by the fourth wave from happening again. One of their fears is
related to the healthcare system, which barely coped this autumn with the large
number of Covid cases.
Prime minister Nicolae Ciucă held a meeting
on Monday with those responsible for managing the pandemic and was briefed on
the situation of cases in Romania and in the European Union. The aim of the
talks was to find a way to protect the population while keeping schools open
and the economy running. The meeting was attended by representatives from the ministries
of health, finance, justice, education, and labour and social solidarity, as
well as the head of the Department for Emergency Situations.
Vaccination was again highlighted as
the safest way to protect citizens’ life and health from serious illness caused
by the coronavirus. The problem, however, is that the pace of vaccination is
again extremely low, with mere thousands getting their first dose every day. Only
a little over 40% of Romanians are fully vaccinated, the second lowest
vaccination rate in the European Union, although all vaccines approved in the
EU are available in their country. Conspiracy theories, the lack of trust in
the medical system and the authorities, the hesitations of the politicians and
the intense campaigns waged against vaccination and protection measures are
some of the factors that may explain the current situation.
Another solution identified at the government
meeting was the generalised wearing of surgical masks or other types of masks
complying with FFP2 standards. The government also analysed the efficiency of testing
programmes for children and the possibility to provide children who need them
with free masks. Solutions were put forward to keep public services and economic
activities running, such as working in shifts and furlough schemes. To this
end, the ministries of finance and labour are to make available the needed
financial resources.
Communication and information
campaigns will also be carried out in order to provide accurate information to
the population, and efforts will be made to counteract disinformation, a
government statement reads. No mention is made, however, of the introduction of
the Covid certificate in the workplace, with a political decision in this
respect still being awaited. (CM)
