April 7, 2020 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 07.04.2020, 20:00
WORLD HEALTH DAY– Every life saved matters, Health Minister Nelu Tataru said on Tuesday to mark World Health Day, celebrating the work of medical staff around the world. According to the Romanian official, healthcare personnel have always known how to be strong in difficult times. On the occasion of the World Health Day, an accord was signed between the World Health Organisations’ Regional Office for Europe and the Romanian Health Ministry. The event, held via videoconference was also attended by President Klaus Iohannis, who highlighted the importance of collaboration with international experts in drawing up strategies to fight the coronavirus and the need for cooperation and international solidarity.
SCHOOL YEAR – In a news conference held on Tuesday Romanian Education Minister Monica Anisie said that the Baccalaureate and national evaluation exams might be held in July. The tests will not comprise the curriculum for the second semester. Simulations of national exams, evaluation exams for the 2nd, 4th and 6th graders, olympiads and national competitions have been cancelled. The subjects for the midterm exams of the second semester will include the curriculum taught until March 11, 2020, when schools were closed down.
THEATRE — Organisers of the Sibiu International theatre Festival announced on Tuesday that a special online edition will be held this year between June 12 and 21, broadcast on Facebook, Youtube and the festival’s official webpage. The decision was taken in the context of the pandemic. It is for the first time in the past 27 years that the festival is suspended. Those over 500 events that should have taken place in Sibiu were rescheduled for 2021.
CORONAVIRUS ROMANIA – The death toll for the coronavirus in Romania reached 197 on Tuesday. According to the Group for Strategic Communication, the confirmed number of infected stood at 4,417 people, including 10 babies at a maternity hospital in Timisoara, western Romania. 631 Romanians living abroad have tested positive for coronavirus and 29 have died. In another development, a cargo aircraft arrived in Bucharest from China earlier today, bringing 200,000 ICU protective gowns, 20,000 medical visors and 500,000 pairs of gloves.
PANDEMIC – Nearly 1.4 million people worldwide have been infected with the novel coronavirus and over 74,000 have died to the virus. Overall, 277,000 people have recovered. Among the thousands of patients who are now in intensive care is also Great Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The British official was hospitalised on Sunday, 10 days after being diagnosed with COVID-19. The most affected countries in Europe are Italy, with 16,500 deaths Spain, with 13,800 deaths and France with around 9,000 deaths. The United States remains the most affected country in the world, with close to 11,000 deaths and over 365 thousand infections. China for the first time since the start of the pandemic has reported no fatalities.
ELECTIONS – The Bucharest Government has extended, through an emergency order, the mandates of mayors, until December 31st, 2020 at the latest. Local elections should have taken place this June, but they were postponed over the coronavirus pandemic. Political sources say several options are being discussed to reschedule the election for September or October. Legislative elections might be held concurrently with local elections or at a close date. A decision will be made after consultations with political parties. (EE)
