January 6, 2021 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 06.01.2021, 20:00

VACCINE A third batch of 15,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine has arrived in Romania on the airports in Bucharest, Cluj Napoca and Timisoara. Romanias immunization programme started on December 27th, and over 58,000 medical workers have been immunized so far. The campaign’s second stage is to commence at the end of next week and will be addressing vulnerable people and workers in key sectors. Authorities estimate that the third stage of the programme, targeting the entire population, may begin in April. Since the onset of the pandemic, roughly 654 thousand people have been infected on Romania’s territory and nearly 16,300 died.

PARTNERSHIP Romania joined the effort of several EU member states for the development of a European mechanism for the access of Eastern Partnership countries to the anti-COVID-19 vaccine. The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu and his counterparts from Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia sent a joint letter to the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and to other top European Commission officials. The document voices support for a EU mechanism enabling Eastern Partnership countries to have access to anti-COVID-19 vaccines, similar to Western Balkan countries. The 13 foreign ministers emphasized that the initiative will indirectly benefit millions of citizens in the Eastern Partnership countries and will strengthen health security within the EU.

GOVERNMENT Financial
audits in all companies and institutions subordinated to ministries and the
possible reopening of schools on February 8 were the main topics of Wednesday’s
government meeting. By February 4, ministers are to present the PM Florin Cîţu reports
on the financial state of all subordinated companies and solutions and
deadlines to making them efficient. Meanwhile, the education minister Sorin
Cîmpeanu announced schools may reopen in the second half of the academic year. He
explained a decision will be made by the end of January. Sorin Cimpeanu added
that in the meantime schools remain closed and classes are taught exclusively
online.

ALERTS Hydrologists have extended and broadened code-yellow and orange alerts for flooding on several rivers in northern, central and southern Romania. Scores of towns and villages in 11 counties across Romania have been affected by flooding in the past days. Heavy rainfalls have caused damage and temporarily disrupted traffic on several national and county roads. Rail traffic has also been disrupted and special teams have intervened to pump water out of households and unblock roads and railways in several regions.

DONATION The Romanian Defence Ministry Wednesday donated COVID-19 personal protective equipment to the Defence Ministry of the Republic of Moldova. The new batch, consisting in face masks, face shields and overgarments follows a previous donation made last spring and is part of a support package for the Republic of Moldova, reiterated by the president of Romania Klaus Iohannis during a recent visit to Chişinău. According to the Romanian Defence Ministry, this reconfirms Romanias commitment to supporting the Moldovan authorities and their efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.

AMBASSADORS Nine
candidates for ambassador posts were interviewed by Parliament’s specialised
committees on Wednesday. Daniela Popescu, the candidate for Romania’s ambassador
to the UK, and Cristian Istrate, the candidate for Romania’s ambassador to the Russian
Federation, are among those who received the greenlight. The interviews had
been scheduled for last November, but were deferred.

HOLY DAY January 6th is a major date for Orthodox and Catholic believers in Romania, a country with an Orthodox majority, which today celebrated Epiphany or the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. On Wednesday priests gave special services and distributed holy water to believers. Because this holiday involves the participation of numerous people, in all the churches across Romania, measures were taken to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Winter holidays in Romania are due to end on Thursday with a festivity celebrating the birth of St. John the Baptist. (tr. A.M. Popescu)