February 23, 2020

VIRUS The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that after new cases of infection with the COVID-19 virus were reported in Italy, where many Romanians work and live, an emergency cell was set up at the Romanian embassy in the Italian capital, which is monitoring the situation and keeps in touch with the local authorities. No cases of infection have been reported among the Romanian community in Italy, sources with the Romanian Health Ministry have announced adding that Romania could be more exposed to the new virus on its national territory due to its citizens traveling between China and Italy. Most of the cases reported in Italy were in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, where over 300 thousand Romanians also live. We recall that six Romanian nationals from the Diamond Princess, a cruise liner that was quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama after cases of infection with the new virus had been reported on board, on Saturday arrived in Romania. Although tested and found uninfected by a mobile medical unit before departure, upon their arrival they have been put in quarantine for 14 days. Two infected Romanians on the same vessel are being treated in a hospital in Japan and their condition has been reported as good. Another nine Romanian nationals, crew members, have decided to remain on board. The Health Ministry in Bucharest has announced that all Romanians coming back from the two Italian regions will be quarantined for 14 days while border checkpoints have received more medical personnel.

VOTE Romania's Prime Minister designate Ludovic Orban is expected to go to Parliament on Monday to get an investiture vote for his fresh cabinet. The 16 ministers of the Orban ll cabinet, which has the same structure and formation as the government sacked through a no-confidence vote, have been interviewed by the specialised committees of the Legislature in Bucharest. The Liberals' plan is to have two governments rejected, which could lead to Parliament dissolution and early election. According to Orban these could take place over June 15th and 30th concurrently with the local election. The opposition Social Democrats have announced their intention not to participate in the investiture vote. In the absence of a quorum, the investiture voting for the Orban government could be postponed. Also on Monday, Romania's Constitutional Court is going to host debates upon a notification from the presidents of the two Parliament Chambers who blamed the president for his decision to have designated the sacked Prime Minister to forge a new government, which in their opinion is sidestepping the Legislature.  

TENNIS The world's no. 2 tennis player, Simona Halep of Romania, has won the WTA tournament in Dubai after a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory against Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. Simona also won the aforementioned tournament five years ago and has so far won 20 tournaments. Romanian tennis player Horia Tecau and his Dutch partner Jean-Julien Rojer will next week participate in the doubles contest of the ATP tournament in Dubai. The two will be taking on third-seeded Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies of Germany who are also the Roland Garros champions. Tecau and Rojer won two titles in Dubai, in 2017 and 2018 and last year they made it to the competition's semifinals.

FAIR The spring edition of Romania's Travel Fair held in Bucharest comes to an end today. The event has been attended by over 300 travel agencies offering holiday packages in Romania and abroad, including for the upcoming Easter holidays. The top holiday destinations for the Romanians seem to be Turkey, Greece, Spain, Tunisia and Egypt, but the participants' offer also included exotic destinations such as Bali and Thailand.

(translated by bill)