November 11, 2020 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA - 9,799 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 and 203 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, the Group for Strategic Communication has announced. The total death toll has risen to 8,389. So far 324,094 people have been infected with the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, and 218,086 have recovered. 12,687 people are being hospitalized in COVID hospitals, of whom 1,092 in intensive care. A total of 6,862 Romanians living abroad have tested positive for COVID-19, of whom 126 have died.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD - Globally, coronavirus cases are nearing 52 million, with 1.3 million fatalities. In Europe, a scientific adviser to the British government estimated on Tuesday that two or three vaccines against Covid-19 may become available by the start of 2021. This comes after the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and their German partners BioNTech said the vaccine they are developing offers 90% protection against the virus. The European Commission on Wednesday signed a contract with BioNTech and Pfizer for the purchase of 300 million vaccine shots for member states. According to the two companies, their vaccine has entered the third phase of clinical trials, with over 43,000 participants enrolled to date. Meanwhile, Italy has imposed new restrictions as of Wednesday, as the number of infections continues to rise and Italian doctors are asking for a national lockdown. A state of alert came into force in Hungary and the US reported a record, more than 200,000 daily cases.     

MOLDOVA - The Foreign Ministry will contribute €250,000 to the implementation of projects aimed at supporting civil society and independent media in the Republic of Moldova. The Ministry wants to help Moldova connect to European values and democratic principles and "will continue to act to the direct support of Moldovan citizens, based on the bond of language, culture and history, as well as on the Strategic Partnership for the European Integration of the Republic of Moldova", the Ministry also writes. On Tuesday President Klaus Iohannis said Romania has been permanently and unequivocally supporting the democratic evolution of its neighbor state.

VETERANS - Military and religious ceremonies attended by a restricted number of people were held on Wednesday on Veterans Day in Bucharest and in garrisons around the country. According to the defense ministry, November 11 was declared Veterans Day because it is on this day in 1918 that a truce was signed between the Entente and Germany, putting an end to WWI and paving the way for the Great Union of all Romanians on December 1 that same year. November 11 also has a symbolic significance for the Romanian army, being the date when, in 2003, Romania lost its first military in the theatre of operations in Afghanistan. Between 1996 and 2019, 30 Romanian soldiers were killed and over 200 wounded in various international missions.

INITIATIVE - Wednesday's session in the Senate was suspended due to lack of quorum. High on the agenda were the citizens' initiative called "No more criminals in public office", as well as the President's request to reexamine the law stipulating that Parliament, not the Government, sets the date of legislative elections. The constitutional committee on Tuesday gave the go-ahead for the former, aimed at revising the country's Constitution, but the legal committee is yet to publish its report. If the initiative is voted into law, it means persons with criminal records can no longer be elected for Parliament, hold leading positions in the administration or manage public funds.

TECH FAIR - More than 1,500 digital business solutions for the retail, IT, cyber security and marketing sectors are on show at the 9th edition of the GoTech 2020: The New Reality exhibition and conference, held online on Wednesday and Thursday and organized by Bucharest. The highlights include new online experiences, the latest tech solutions and an exhibition space created with 3D technology where visitors can interact with the exhibitors. The event brings together 16,000 professionals and local and international companies and is one of the most important in Central and Eastern Europe.

(Translated by C. Mateescu & V. Palcu)