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VACCINE The EU has concluded a fresh agreement with Pfizer/BioNTech for the purchase of another 300 million doses of anti-Covid vaccine, besides the 300 million already purchased, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has been cited by DPA as saying. According to the EU official, 75 million doses would be delivered in the second quarter of the year. The EU immunization campaign with the vaccine produced by the German-US consortium Pfizer-BioNTec kicked off in December. The EU has also approved the Moderna vaccine and is waiting for the delivery of the first 160 million doses. The European Commission has attracted a lot of heat for the slow pace of the immunization campaign addressing its 450 million citizens.
EC The European Commission has again cautioned the centre-right coalition government in Bucharest that it has to keep budget deficit at bay, after expenditures soared in 2020 whereas incomes went down against the background of the health crisis. 'We are expecting from Romania a robust 2021 budget' the vice-president of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis said in a phone talk with the Romanian Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare. The Romanian official has pledged that promoting investment remains a priority and so does the use of EU funds. Minister Nazare has given assurances that Bucharest is considering a gradual reduction of the deficit, starting this year so that it may reach 3% of the GDP in 2024.
COVID-19 Romania's Health Ministry wants to simplify procedures for setting up and authorizing the anti-Covid vaccination centers across the country. According to Minister Vlad Voiculescu the government is working on amending legislation to set the regulations concerning the authorization and functioning of these centers. The minister went on to say that Romania must shortly have about one thousand suchlike points able to immunize 150 thousand citizens a day. 76 thousand people have been immunized in Romania so far and experts believe that immunization comes a week after getting the second dose of the vaccine produced by PfizerBioNTech, the only one used in Romania so far. Roughly 5 thousand fresh Covid infections were reported in Romania on Thursday after nearly 31 thousand tests had been conducted. Most of the cases, 940, were reported in Bucharest. 11 people died and 1106 are in intensive care. Out of the 658 thousand infected since the onset of the pandemic in Romania, nearly 90% have been cured.
SCHOOLS Students might come back to schools starting February 8th, Romania's Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu said at a meeting with representatives of trade unions in the field and of associations of students and teachers. However, the decision hinges on the evolution of the pandemics, and the opening of schools and kindergartens will be done differently depending upon the infection rate in every region. National exams are to be held face-to-face with the strict observance of the prevention measures in place.
MEETING Romania's president Klaus Iohannis is today holding talks with the Liberal Prime Minister, Florin Citu, and with the ministers nominated by the National Liberal Party in the executive, such as Defence minister Nicolae Ciuca, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare and Interior Minister Lucian Bode. On Thursday the president held talks with the Prime Minister and the ministers nominated by the USR-PLUS alliance. The coalition cabinet in Bucharest, whose activity commenced on December 24th, also includes three UDMR ministers.
US In a video message posted on Twitter, the outgoing US president, Republican Donald Trump, has declared himself 'outraged by the lawlessness, violence and mayhem' caused by his supporters who stormed the US Capitol. The new message was in stark contrast to the previous one in which he praised his supporters. Trump has also pledged a smooth transition for president-elect Joe Biden's administration. Democrat leaders have called on Vice-president Mike Pence to invoke the 25th amendment and remove Trump from power in the wake of the violent events on January 6th, in which 5 people were killed. Some senior members of his administration have resigned in the wake of the US Capitol riot in order to protest the violence.
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