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MESSAGE In his Easter address on Friday, president Klaus Iohannis told the Romanians that the number of fatalities worldwide is on the rise and Romania hasn't reached the pandemic's peak yet. All restrictions are still in place and any rule violation represents a major risk, Iohannis added, urging the Romanians to stay at home and do not pay visits to friends or relatives these days in order to minimize the risk of contamination. The president has called on the authorities to remain vigilant in the coming period. Over 36 thousand policemen, gendarme troops, firefighters, border police, local police and army troops will be on duty during the Orthodox Easter to enforce the measures imposed through the military ordinances being also ready to intervene in any situations that might threaten citizens' lives.
PROGRAMME A state-sponsored programme on supporting small and medium-sized businesses to benefit interest-free and commission-free loans has today come into effect in Romania. The sum allotted for this programme is 3.1 billion euros for working capital and investment. Finance Minister Florin Citu said this programme is addressing all small and medium-sized businesses in Romania, not only those, which have been affected by the pandemic crisis. The programme is aimed at kick-starting the Romanian economy and 600 thousand jobs will be supported in the programme's first stage. Companies willing to benefit from the programme can register on the platform imminvest.ro.
TOLL Covid-19 has so far killed 400 and infected 8000 people in Romania. Roughly 1000 medical workers have been infected most of them in Suceava, north-eastern Romania and in Bucharest. Romania's Prime Minister Ludovic Orban says that the pandemic's peak is estimated in early May. He has again called on citizens not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary. We recall that 1500 people have been successfully treated and allowed to leave hospitals.
ORDINANCE Authorities in Bucharest have issued another military ordinance, number 9. Among other things, the ordinance extends the ban on flights to and from 10 countries: The UK, Northern Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey, Iran, Italy, France and Germany. Under the same law, sailors are exempted from being kept in isolation unless they present Covid symptoms as well as truck drivers and plane crews. Under the same ordinance, the export of wheat and other derived products has been banned in order for the state reserves to be completed.
PANDEMIC Since its outbreak in China, the Coronavirus pandemic has killed nearly 150 thousand people the world over out of 2.2 million infected. The United States has reported most of the fatalities 35,688 followed by Italy 21,647, Spain 18,579, France with 17,167 and Britain 12,868. The crisis' social and economic impact has fueled concern among experts who believe the pandemic will bring the end of economy as we know it. OPEC has anticipated for 2020 a sharp drop in the crude demand worldwide due to the international economic blockage caused by the pandemic. Some pundits believe that Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal are in for deep economic recessions. According to European Commission Chief, Ursula von der Leyen, Europe needs a new Marshall plan for public and private investment and the creation of new jobs.
(translated by bill)
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