April 11, 2019 UPDATE

FINANCIAL SUPPORT – The European Commission approved on Saturday a 3.3 billion euro scheme for Romania in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme, approved under the State Aid Temporary Framework, will enable Romania to help SMEs facing difficulties as a result of the economic impact of the pandemic. The aim of the scheme is to help businesses cover their immediate working capital or investment needs, thus ensuring the continuation of their activities. The Commission found that the Romanian measures are in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. The Commission concluded that the Romanian measures are necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State.

Newsroom, 11.04.2020, 19:33

PANDEMIC – Spain, one of the countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday reported smaller figures in terms of new infections for the third consecutive day. The death toll exceeded 16 thousand, while the number of confirmed cases is almost 162 thousand. Borders with France and Portugal will stay closed for another 14 days but economic activity is to be resumed gradually, after Easter. The state of emergency will be in place until April 26, according to radio Romania correspondent in Spain. In Italy, which reported 150 thousand infections and around 19 thousand deaths, PM Giuseppe Conte has announced that the nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus will be extended until May 3. Among a few exceptions to the lockdown extension, the PM said bookshops, stationers and shops selling children’s clothes could reopen from April 14. The United States, where the death toll exceeded 2,000 in a single day, according to figures made public by Johns Hopkins University, hosts a quarter of the global number of confirmed infections.

CORONAVIRUS ROMANIA – The number of deaths from the novel coronavirus has reached 282, with another 523 new infections reported on Saturday. The total number of infections stands at 5,990. As many as 758 people have recovered. A Romanian citizen infected with coronavirus has died in France, with the death toll in the Diaspora being 43. As many as 694 Romanian citizens abroad have tested positive to the virus, most of them in Italy and Spain. There is a local transmission of the infection at present, with the number of infections from people coming from abroad being on the decrease, according to the National Institute of Public Health. If in the week when the virus was first identified in Romania 67% of the persons who tested positive came from abroad, in particular from Italy, Spain, the UK, France and Germany, in the following week 62% of the patients had no identified epidemiological connection. At national level, around 18 people out of one hundread thousand got infected. In 78% of the cases, the patients were aged 30 to 69, with the average age being 48 years. The average age of the people who died from coronavirus was 67. The youngest person who died was 27 and the oldest 94. Researchers pointed out that social distancing remains vital in fighting the spread of the virus and that the epidemic is not that widespread in Romania for the time being.

EASTER – In Bucharest, President Klaus Iohannis and PM Ludovic Orban conveyed a message to the Roman Catholic, Reformed, Unitarian and Evangelical believers who celebrate Easter. Even if this holy feast finds us separated from the dear ones, the power of our faith unites us and gives us hope that we will soon be together again, the head of the state said. Believers in the countries affected by coronavirus will not have access to the church. Due to the strict social distancing measures, masses will be held just like in the previous weeks, without public, and broadcast on radio, TV and internet.

MATERIALS – The third set of 35 insulated stretchers for the transport of patients infected with coronavirus was delivered on Friday to the Defence Ministry and is to be distributed to hospitals. The production of insulated stretchers will continue until the last 20 such objects, out of the total 100, are delivered. The Defence Ministry has said that the product, developed by Romanian military researchers and doctors complied with all security standards. Also, the general manager of Antibiotice Iasi, Ioan Nani, has announced that hydroxychloroquine, the medicine used in the treatment of the coronavirus infection, will also be produced in Romania, after the factory receives the active substance from China, next week. Antibiotice Iasi is going to produce 2.5 million pills.

REPATRIATION – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has announced that 330 Romanians returned to Romania from Spain on Friday, after a temporary stay in that country and that they were affected by the measures taken in the context of the pandemic. The repatriation was made by plane, from Barcelona and Madrid. Also, due to the joint efforts of the Spanish Embassy in Bucharest and the Romanian diplomacy, also repatriated were 41 Spanish citizens. The Foreign Ministry reiterates the message to avoid all unessential travels abroad. It also calls on Romanians abroad to strictly observe restrictions in place in their countries and avoid travelling to Romania. (Translatede by Elena Enache)