A roundup of domestic and international news
COVID-19 IN ROMANIA - The number of daily COVID infections continues to rise, exceeding 300 new cases. Pressure on hospitals keeps mounting, as the number of sick who recover continues to drop. According to the latest update, 1.500 people died to the virus since the beginning of the outbreak. 23.730 infections have been confirmed in the country, while 16.735 people have recovered. 190 patients are in intensive care, nearly 1.330 people are in institutionalized quarantine and another 80.000 are in home isolation under medical observation. The head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, said the state of alert might be extended if the number of infections continues to rise. 3.531 Romanians living abroad have tested positive for SARS CoV2 and 115 have died.
COVID-19 IN THE WORLD - The World Health Organization has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic has entered a new and dangerous phase. WHO director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyessus has warned that the virus remains lethal, continuing to spread rapidly. According to the WHO official, the daily number of new cases has hit a record high globally, over 150.000, most of which are reported in North and South America, the Middle East and South Asia. Brazil has reported nearly 55.000 new infections in only 24 hours, totaling over 1 million infections, making it the second-most affected country in the world, after the United States, Reuters informs. The virus has killed nearly 463.000 people around the world, infected 8.8 million people, of whom 4.6 million have recovered, the latest data published on the worldometers.info platform reveals.
ONLINE FORM - Air passengers entering the country via Henri Coanda airport must file an online form stating their epidemiological status. Available as of Friday, the form is aimed at reducing waiting times and boosting the flow of arrivals, with the overall purpose of preventing the SARS CoV2 virus from spreading. The form can be accessed on bucharestairports.ro.
REPATRIATIONS - The Foreign Ministry announced the repatriation of another 339 Romanian citizens from France and Great Britain on Thursday, as a result of a joint effort of the Transport and Interior Ministries. The people in question were affected by COVID measures and flight restrictions. The authorities also helped 19 French, 2 Canadian, 1 Tunisian and 1 American return to Romania. A number of British and French citizens were also returned to their home countries.
BEACHES - Romania has four Blue Flag beaches, after last year only three beaches got this rating, commonly used to signal a number of high environmental and quality criteria necessary to obtain certification, such as water quality, cleanliness and safety. Neighboring Bulgaria got Blue Flag certification for 15 of its beaches this year. At global level, over 4.500 beaches got certified for 2020. Spain ranks 1, with 590 beaches, followed by Greece, Turkey, Italy and France.
REACTION - The Foreign Ministry has dismissed the statements of Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó as ungrounded and disrespectful, after the latter has labeled President Klaus Iohannis an extremist, anti-Hungarian politician in a Facebook post. The Hungarian official said the President's decision to challenge the constitutionality of a law on opening a new crossing point on the Hungarian border goes against efforts to bring the two countries closer together. The Foreign Ministry says the President attacked the law because it violated the principle of separation of state powers, and never meant to take action against Hungary or the Hungarian minority in Romania. The Government already has an agreement in place with Hungary to open a new border crossing point, which is why the Foreign Ministry was surprised at the Hungarian official's reaction, which it deems unjustified, disproportionate and out of context.
WEATHER ALERTS - Meteorologists on Saturday have issued a code orange alert for three quarters of Romania, in place until Sunday morning, and a code yellow alert for the rest of the country. The weather will be unstable during the interval, with hail, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall expected to trigger massive floods in the target areas. A code red has been called for Caras-Severin, Timis, Mures and Harghita counties. The latest heavy rain has wrought havoc in scores of towns and villages, particularly in the southwest and center of the country, brigades of firefighters being called to pump water out of dozens of households.
(Translated by V. Palcu)
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