2 June 2020, UPDATE

A look at some of the main stories in Romania today.

Newsroom, 02.06.2020, 20:00

Coronavirus
Romania. Fewer coronavirus cases in Romania, as 19 were reported over the last
24 hours, the authorities have announced. The number of confirmed cases has
exceeded 19,500 and the death toll stands at 1,288. 13,500 people have recovered.
Almost 3,100 Romanian nationals living abroad have been infected, of whom 106 have
died. In the meantime, the activity in hospitals around Romania is gradually
coming back to normal. Several hospitals that have so far only treated Covid
infections are gradually returning to the activities they carried out before
the pandemic. Restrictions were further eased on Monday, when outdoor cafes and
bars, as well as beaches reopened. Social distancing remains in effect but
Romanians are now allowed to travel from one city to another without restrictions.
Shopping centres, schools, kindergartens and playground areas remain closed,
while flights to and from some EU and non-EU destinations are still cancelled.

Coronavirus world.
Coronavirus cases pass 6.4 million globally and more than 378,000 have died.
The United States tops 1.8 million cases, while its death toll passes 107,000.
The World Health Organisation has warned that the pandemic is yet to reach its
peak in Central and South America. This comes as countries around the world are
easing restrictions. In Japan, the Imperial Palace gardens have reopened their
doors to visitors after being closed for two months, but the country is still
closed to tourists from over 110 countries. In Italy, president Sergio
Mattarella travelled to the Lombardy region, the first coronavirus hotbed in
Italy and the area worst hit by the pandemic. On Wednesday, Italy is lifting
restrictions on travel between its 20 regions following a drop in the number of
new cases and deaths. On Monday, the Spanish authorities said no new death had
been reported in the last 24 hours for the first time in three months. They
urged, however, caution, warning that events attended by a large number of
people are not permitted.

School. Final year secondary and high school pupils
returned to school in Romania on Tuesday after more than two months of online teaching.
They will be undergoing special classes until the 12th June to
prepare for their respective final year examinations. Special measures have
been implemented in schools to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus and pupils
must wear face masks for the duration of classes, which last two or three hours.
Final eighth-year secondary school pupils can register for the national
examination until 5th June, with the exam beginning on 15th
June. Another exam session has been scheduled for 29th June, for
those who were unable to take the exam earlier on health grounds. A special
baccalaureate exam session is also expected to be scheduled for the same
reasons. Pupils in their final year of high school can register for their
baccalaureate exam beginning on Wednesday, with the first exam being scheduled for
22nd June.

Repatriation.
The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest said it facilitated the repatriation of 260
Romanian nationals on Monday, 70 from Turkey and 190 from the UK. Earlier, the
ministry also helped 620 Romanian citizens stranded in The Netherlands, France
and Spain return to Romania. The move comes in line with other measures aimed
at facilitating the return of the Romanian nationals stranded abroad as a
result of air travel restrictions imposed following the coronavirus outbreak. The
ministry said the Romanian nationals who have been repatriated were unable to
prolong their stay in the aforementioned countries for various reasons. The Romanian
air carrier TAROM has cancelled regular flights to and from European
destinations such as Italy, Spain, the UK, France, Germany and Belgium until
mid-July.

Cancellation.
Three major music festivals scheduled for this summer, Untold, Neversea and
Electric Castle, have been cancelled due to the coronavirus restrictions.
According to organisers, the decision reflects the current uncertainty in the
event industry, the strict conditions in which people are able to work together
and a bill banning events attracting more than 1,000 people until 31st
August this year. The people who have already bought their tickets for these
events can use them next year or ask for a refund. The 2020 edition of the
Golden Stag pop music festival has also been cancelled, which was due in Brasov
between 20th and 23rd August. First held in 1968, this
has become the biggest international music festival in Romania.

Transmitter. The short-wave station in Ţigăneşti, which transmits Radio
Romania International’s broadcasts, is undergoing overhaul works on Wednesday,
3rd June, between 8 am and 4 pm Romania time, or between 5 am and 1 pm GMT. The
works will affect the broadcasts in French to Central Africa and the Maghreb,
in English to Western Europe and Australia, in German to Western Europe, in
Arabic to the Maghreb and in Chinese to continental China. In this interval,
you can listen to our broadcasts via the short-wave stations in Galbeni and on
the Internet, at rrri.ro, via mobile apps on Google Play and App Store, on
Eutelsat 16A or on landline and mobile phones. (CM)