Some lockdown restrictions are here to stay, and the next weeks are expected to dictate which exactly
The head of the Department for Emergency Situations in Bucharest Raed Arafat pointed out that we can't speak of a total ease in lockdown restrictions, as we are not seeing a constant drop in the number of new infections. Arafat told the public TV station that several counties in Romania continue to be considered hotbeds of infection.
"Anyone claiming the pandemic is behind us and things are ok is clearly misinformed. Right now the situation is under control, better than it was before, but we've not yet reached the point of zero contagion. We still have hotbeds in several counties, whether it's homes for the elderly, industrial areas or medical units we're talking about. And the number of cases is still fluctuating".
A medical doctor, Arafat claims the ease in lockdown restrictions starting June 1 will have to be analyzed in terms of its effect. Any decision will be based on this analysis of the evolution of COVID-19. The Romanian official says extending the state of alert would be normal at this point, providing the authorities with the possibility of coordinating and taking the necessary measures. Raed Arafat added that, even in the event of a complete lifting of restrictions, he still wouldn't go to the cinema or theatre, as the risk is still there. We've all achieved some good here, it would be a shame to stumble at the threshold. June 15 will not entail a return to life as it was before the pandemic, Raed Arafat concluded. Lockdown restrictions have been less harsh in Romania, but they were introduced sooner, Arafat says. Romanians should focus on internal tourism, which has suffered a lot and needs support. Fortunately, we have many mountain and seacoast destinations, the official continued. And indeed, in the Pentecost miniholiday, thousands of tourists took resorts on Prahova Valley and on the Romanian Black Seacoast by storm, after a hiatus of several months. Over 15.000 Romanians visited seacoast resorts, despite lower estimates from travel agents. According to an online agency, the reality exceeded expectations for the nearly 100 hotels on the seacoast that opened their doors to tourists. The number of guests was however four times lower compared to the same period last year. Thousands of tourists also headed to resorts on Prahova Valley, where they could ski on a special slope, go trekking or mountain biking. Cable transport facilities were operational, and the good weather outside brought thousands of people out of their homes for outings.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
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