April 4, 2020 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 04.04.2020, 20:00

DECREE – Authorities
in Bucharest on Saturday passed a new military decree, the seventh since the
onset of the state of emergency called due to the spread of the coronavirus in
Romania. Under the new decree, total quarantine has been declared in the town
of Tandarei, Ialomita County, after some 800 locals returned home from abroad
and did not observe home isolation regulations. Starting 23:00 on Saturday, all
commercial flights inbound and outbound to Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, the
United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Turkey and Iran are
suspended. Flight connections had been already
cut off with Italy, Spain, France and Germany. Charter flights addressing the
transport of seasonal workers to other states are permitted. Another provision
in the decree refers to the extension of the period of suspension for
international road transport of people to and from Italy, Spain, France,
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Turkey all
throughout the state of emergency. According to the latest figures, the death
toll in Romania has reached 140. The number of infections stands at 3,613, of
whom 329 people have recovered. 119 patients are in intensive care. Some 15,000
people are quarantined at national level and over 113,000 are in home
isolation. Two hospitals in the northeast were fully or partially shut down,
respectively, for a period of 14 days, for decontamination, after over 100
medical staff tested positive for COVID-19. 317 Romanian citizens abroad have
tested positive for COVID-19 and 26 have died.

CORONAVIRUS IN THE
WORLD – The global death toll for the coronavirus has exceeded 60,000. The
World Health Organization says over 200 countries and territories are currently
being affected. The most serious situation is in the United States, which
reports a quarter of the total number of infections, and in Europe, the
continent with the largest number of deaths. The WHO warns that COVID-19 might
seriously hit Japan next, unless this country takes swift prevention measures.
In Europe, the number of infections in Spain has exceeded that of Italy, and is
reporting 11,000 dead. Italy instead is reporting decreasing number of
infections, and the death toll is closing in on 15,000. France reports the
third-largest number of victims, over 6,500.

RECESSION -The coronavirus pandemic has brought the global economy
to a standstill and plunged the world into a recession that will be way worse
than the global financial crisis a decade ago, the head of the International
Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday. The IMF official called on
advanced economies to step up their efforts to help emerging markets and
developing countries survive the economic and health impact of the pandemic. A
similar message was delivered by World Bank President, David Malpass. The
European Commission and the European Investment Bank have green-lit the
disbursement of 700 million euros to the agri-food sector as part of the
Investment Plan for Europe. The program will help maintain and create new jobs
in rural areas. The Commission has announced a temporary suspension of customs
taxes and VAT for medical and protection imports from outside the EU, which
will ease pressure on public spending for national governments.

LEGISLATION – Parliament on Friday passed three bills regarding the
suspension of the bank loan payments, technical unemployment and fiscal
measures aimed at helping individuals and businesses. The plenary session was
held online and MPs voted via telephone. Under the first bill, initiated by the
Social Democrats, bank loan payments can be suspended on demand, without
interest rates or penalties. The Social-Democrats say the document will correct
errors in the emergency decree passed by the Liberal Government. The Liberals,
in power, say they will refer the bill to the Constitutional Court, saying it
is a populist measure that piles up pressure on the state budget. The Liberals
will also challenge the bill that postpones the payment of social security
contributions and utility bills for a period of three months, which addresses
people who have filed for technical unemployment benefits. All parties in
Parliament voted the bill that proposes the payment of an allowance tantamount
to 75% of the base salary of employees affected by the reduction or suspension
of activity.

PALM SUNDAY – Catholic Christians worldwide are celebrating Palm Sunday,
marking the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, where the crowd
welcomed him holding palm branches. Palm Sunday marks the start of the last
week of Lent, also known as Holy Week, when Christians prepare to celebrate the
Resurrection of Christ. This year, due to restrictions caused by the
coronavirus pandemic, masses in Romania as well as in other countries will be
celebrated in empty churches and broadcast on TV, radio or online. The Church
urges everyone during this pandemic to discover the beauty and plenitude of
prayer, praying with our loved ones in our churches at home, with our families,
the spokesman of the Roman-Catholic Diocese in Bucharest, Father Francisc Dobos
has said, adding that the situation is not ideal, but is the best possible one.
By uniting in spirit via various means of communication, television, radio or
the Internet, we stay together with Christ, Francisc Dobos added. This year
Roman-Catholic Christians celebrate Easter on April 12, while Orthodox
Christians on April 19.

(Translated by V. Palcu)