September 1, 2020

september 1, 2020 A roundup of domestic and international news

COVID-19 - 1053 new infections with SARS CoV-2 have been reported in the last 24 hours in Romania, the Group for Strategic Communication announced earlier today. The total number of infections is close to 89 thousand. Also today, 60 new fatalities were reported, taking the death toll to 3.681. 522 patients are in intensive care. 6.590 Romanians have tested positive for COVID-19 abroad, and 126 have died. According to worldometers.info, 25.6 million cases have been reported worldwide. The global death toll exceeds 850.000. The World Health Organization on Monday urged countries around the world to uphold their efforts to counter the pandemic. WHO General Director, Tedros Ghebreyesus warned that opening up without control of the virus would be a "recipe for disaster". Also on Monday, the European Regional Office of the WHO and representatives of the 53 member states discussed ways of protecting children after the start of the new school year. Ensuring proper hand hygiene, physical distancing, the wearing of face masks and staying at home in case of displaying symptoms are some of the measures considere. WHO officials pointed out the pandemic is responsible for the biggest disruption of education systems in history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion students in over 190 countries.  


PARLIAMENT - Romanian MPs are today convening in a new session, the last of the current parliamentary term. The previous session was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, MPs meeting mostly online. High on the agenda is the budget adjustment law, already passed by the Government, which will be voted in the two chambers. Other projects in the fields of healthcare, education and social protection, aimed at helping the authorities deal with the coronavirus pandemic, are pending adoption.


LIFTING OF RESTRICTIONS - Restaurants, cinemas and theatres are reopening today with certain health safety provisions in place. Nightclubs and bars remain closed. Also starting today the number of people attending private events, training classes and workshops is increased.


ELECTION - The campaign for the local election due on September 27 continues in Romania. The authorities have announced the set of regulations candidates and their teams must observe to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. According to the Interior Ministry, face masks are compulsory, while all people attending election events and meetings will undergo triage and will have to sanitize their hands. Access rules and individual health safety measures will be publicly displayed. Participants will also have to observe the minimum 1-meter distance. A maximum of 50 people are admitted for indoor activities for a maximum duration of 2 hours. In the case of outdoor events, the participation is limited to a hundred people. Candidates are vying for one of the 41 positions of presidents of county councils, 3.200 mayor seats, 1.300 county councilmen and 40.000 local councilmen mandates. Originally slated for June, the local election was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the mandates of elected officials were extended by another six months. 


UNEMPLOYMENT - The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 5.4% in July, by 0.1% higher than in June, the National Statistics Institute announced today. Some 484.000 people aged 15-74 were unemployed in July 2020, more than the previous month (474.000 people) as well as compared to the same month last year (362.000). Unemployed adults aged 25-74 accounted for 4.3% of the total population in July. Gender ratios point to a 4.9% rate for men and 3.6% for women.  


FESTIVAL - As of Thursday Bucharest is hosting the 6th edition of the Bucharest International Dance Film Festival. For four days the city will play host to film screenings, workshops, short-reel contests and conferences featuring prestigious guests. According to organizers, this year's theme is Utopia/Dystopia, aimed as a reflection on the present and exploring the future. Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain's latest feature, EMA, will be premiered in the opening of the festival. Some 32 short-reels from 14 countries around the world are competing in the three sections - international films, national films and musicals. Organizers have also prepared a series of events devoted to the film and dance industry.


GEORGE ENESCU - The George Enescu prestigious international music contest continues in Bucharest. Some 205 young musicians from 39 countries are enrolled in the competition, 184 in the violin, cello and piano sections and 21 in the composition sections. Total prizes stand at €100.000. The competition is unfolding mostly online due to the coronavirus pandemic.


TENNIS - Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea and Mihaela Buzarnescu are today playing in the first round at the US Open, the first Grand Slam tournament held after the hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cirstea (77 WTA) is playing Christina McHale of the United States (75 WTA), while Buzarnescu (122 WTA) will take on another American, Sloane Stephens (39 WTA). Another Romanian player, Irina Begu (73 WTA) was knocked out in the first round after losing to sixth-seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-2 on Monday. Our fourth representative, Patricia Tig (88 WTA) will play Kurumi Nara of Japan (142 WTA). Simona Halep, world no. 2, will not take part in the tournament. No player will represent Romania in the men's singles. In the men's doubles, Horia Tecau will once again team up with Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands, while in the women's doubles, Raluca Olaru will play together with Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain. The first round in the doubles competitions will be held on Wednesday.

(Translated by V. Palcu)



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Publicat: 2020-09-01 13:55:00
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