A roundup of domestic and international news
Covid-19RO. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has convened a working meeting on the vaccination campaign against COVID-19. The meeting will be attended by Prime Minister Florin Cîţu, Deputy Prime Ministers Dan Barna and Kelemen Hunor, other members of the government, as well as the coordinator of the vaccination campaign, Valeriu Gheorghiţă and the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Health, Andrei Baciu. Since the end of December 2020, over 6.8 million doses have been administered to almost 4 million Romanians, of whom over 2.8 million have also received the second jab. Tens of thousands of people have been immunized in recent days in drive-through centers (by car) and through vaccination marathons across the country. The capital's Emergency Situations Committee decided today that preschoolers and pupils will be able to return to class physically, starting Wednesday, with the observance and application of all protection rules. On the other hand, the Strategic Communication Group reported today 681 cases of infection with the new coronavirus out of almost 32 thousand tests performed nationwide. In the last 24 hours, 91 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 died. There are now more than 4,600 patients in hospitals, of whom 716 in intensive care. At this moment, at national level, an incidence higher than 1 per one thousand inhabitants is registered only in Cluj county - 1.18, and Alba county - 1.14.
Certificate. Romania is ready to introduce the green vaccination certificate that will be used at European level, the spokesperson for the Special Telecommunications Service, Cătălin Chirca said on Radio Romania. STS is already working on an IT system with two components: a portal wherefrom citizens will download their green certificate for free and an application that will allow the verification of issued certificates. Adina Vălean, the European Commissioner for Transport, has explained that, currently, there are 18 member countries that have scheduled tests of their solutions and the connection that their databases will establish with the European information exchange platform. Romania is scheduled for May 21 to take its interoperability test. The green vaccination certificate, which will contain a QR code, will facilitate free movement in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will certify that a person has been vaccinated against coronavirus or, as the case may be, that he or she has recently had a negative test result or that he or she has been infected with the virus.
Economy. In the first quarter of this year, Romanian economy was the most dynamic in the European Union, with a growth of the Gross Domestic Product of 2.8% compared to the last quarter of 2020, according to preliminary data published on Tuesday by Eurostat. Next come Cyprus (2%), Hungary (1.9%) and Lithuania (1.8%). Earlier, the National Institute of Statistics had too announced this growth, above estimates, of the Romanian economy in the first quarter of 2021. Prime Minister Florin Cîţu wrote on Facebook that it's the fastest economic recovery in history, in response to the biggest crisis in the last hundred years. He also wrote that the Government is preparing new measures to make Romania's post-pandemic economy stronger and more competitive. For this year, the authorities estimate an economic growth of about 4.3%, after a decline of 3.9% in 2020.
Conflict. EU foreign ministers are discussing today, via videoconference, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is in the Middle East, in a bid to mediate the talks. The head of the Greek diplomacy is the first European dignitary of this level to visit Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Egypt in an effort to help ease the tension. On Monday, US President Joe Biden voiced support for a ceasefire agreement after a week of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants. He said that during a telephone conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a White House statement, the United States is working with Egypt and other partners to put an end hostilities. Earlier, the US blocked a UN Security Council statement on the cessation of violence for the third time. Washington, Israel's main ally, explained after previous refusals to adopt a statement that such a document would be counterproductive to the conflict mediation efforts. Egypt, the region's main mediator, has vowed to coordinate efforts with France to achieve a ceasefire. The latest toll of clashes between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas indicates more than 200 dead and more than 1,000 wounded in Gaza and 10 dead and 300 wounded in Israel.
Eurovision. The 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest starts today, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in a small format. The representative of Romania, Roxen, with the song 'Amnesia', will be the 13th artist to go on stage, in the first semifinal. Ten competitors will qualify for the final, which will take place on Saturday. Ten other artists will qualify, on Thursday, from the second semifinal. The 20 finalists will be joined, in the final act, by the representatives of the host country and of the Big Five - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Great Britain. Romania's best performances in this competition have been: twice the third place (Luminiţa Anghel & Sistem - Kiev, 2005; Paula Seling and Ovi - Oslo, 2010) and once the fourth place (Mihai Trăistariu - Athens, 2006). (MI)
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