A roundup of local and international news.
Covid-19. The coronavirus infection rate continues to drop in Romania. Thursday saw 133 new cases, from almost 30,000 tests. 148 deaths in patients infected with Covid-19 were also reported, of which 124 date from last year and earlier this year but were only now recorded in the data base by the local Public Health Directorates at the request of the health ministry, following further checks. 1,500 Covid patients are receiving hospital treatment, including 256 in intensive care. Since the vaccine rollout kicked off in Romania in late December, over 4.5 million people have been fully vaccinated.
State of alert. The government has extended the state of alert for a further thirty days from 12th June. Several restrictions are also eased. The number of people allowed to attend private receptions indoors has been expanded to 200 provided everyone is vaccinated, has a negative test result or has recovered from the infection. According to the authorities, the measures imposed during the state of alert will also apply to the stadiums hosting the football matches as part of the 2020 European Football Championship. The National Arena in Bucharest, which will host an eighth final match, will be able to operate at 50% capacity.
Investment. Romanian prime minister Florin Cîţu says the reported 10% rise in net investments in the first quarter of the year published by the National Institute for Statistics is an indicator showing investors' and multinational companies' trust in his government. Investments create bigger production capacity, which generates economic growth that benefits all Romanians, the prime minister posted on Facebook. According to the National Institute for Statistics, net investments in the Romanian economy in the first quarter of the year amounted to some 4 billion euros, up 9.9% compared with the same period last year. Almost 36% of these investments went to the building sector, 25% to industry, trade and services and 3.5% to agriculture.
Heroes Day. Religious services and military ceremonies were held all over Romania on Thursday in memory of the military killed in action in various wars involving the participation of Romania's armed forces or in missions carried out in theatres of operations. Under a law from 2003, the 40th day after Easter, on the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, was proclaimed Heroes Day and has been a national holiday in Romania ever since. Orthodox Christians, who form Romania's majority religious group, as well as the Greek Catholic, celebrated the Ascension on Thursday.
Visit. Israel's president Reuven Rivlin, who has been on a trip to Romania ahead of the 73rd anniversary on 11th June of uninterrupted diplomatic relations between the two countries, on Thursday attended the commemoration of the seven soldiers, six from Israel and one from Romania, who died in a helicopter crash in the Bucegi Mountains, in southern Romania, in 2010. On the first two days of his visit, president Rivlin held talks with his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis, delivered a speech before the Romanian Parliament and inaugurated the Romania-Israel Business Forum together with prime minister Florin Cîţu.
Tennis. The Romanian-Argentinean pair Irina Begu and Nadia Podoroska will on Friday face Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the USA and Iga Swiatek of Poland in the semis of the women's doubles at Roland Garros. In the quarter finals, Begu and Podoroska defeated Petra Martic of Croatia and Shelby Rogers of the USA. Begu is the only Romanian player still in competition at the French Open. (CM)
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