July 2, 2020

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 02.07.2020, 13:55

Covid-10 RO. In Romania, the total number of Sars-Cov-2 infections stands at 27,700, according to the Strategic Communication Group. The death toll has reached 1687. Of the people confirmed positive, more than 19,300 have been declared cured and discharged from hospital. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 4,795 Romanian citizens abroad have been confirmed with COVID-19, mostly in Germany, Italy and Spain. So far, 115 Romanian citizens abroad have died due to the new coronavirus. In the context of the recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, the authorities have stressed the fact that companies that do not comply with safety rules will be sanctioned and that controls will be intensified.

Economy. The Liberal government in Bucharest has presented an ambitious economic recovery plan after the pandemic, with a budget of 100 billion euros and based, in particular, on attracting European funds. The document covers transport and energy infrastructure, health, education, investments for local development, agricultural and irrigation infrastructure, environmental investments and sports infrastructure. The aim is to increase the gross domestic product per capita so that it reaches 87% of the European Union average in five years. The major difference in approach would be, according to the initiators, economic growth based on massive investments, which would replace the current model based mainly on consumption. However, the Social-Democratic opposition claims that this is an exclusively electoral program.

Unemployment. The unemployment rate in Romania rose to 5.2% in May 2020, at the level of the first half of 2017, the National Institute of Statistics has reported today. The unemployment rate for men – 6.1% – exceeded that of women by 2.1 percentage points. For people aged 25 to 74, the unemployment rate was estimated at 4.2% in May 2020. The number of unemployed aged 25 to 74 accounts for 74.9% of the total number of unemployed estimated for May 2020. The Institute also says in its communiqué that the arrivals registered in the tourist reception structures in May 2020 decreased by about 97% compared to those in May 2019, and those of foreign tourists account for 3.8%. According to the National Institute of Statistics, these data capture the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and of the measures taken by the authorities as a result of declaring a state of emergency on the Romanian territory starting with March 16, 2020 and the state of alert as of May 17.

Pandemic. The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection around the world has exceeded 10.8 million, and the number of deaths reported as being associated with Covid-19 has reached 519,000, according to Worldometers website. More than six million people infected with Sars-Cov-2 have been declared cured. The United States ranks first in the world with regard to the number of cases of infection and death. Nearly 53,000 coronavirus infections were recorded in the United States in 24 hours, a record high since the beginning of the pandemic, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The death toll has exceeded 130,000. For at least the next three weeks, all indoor activities in bars, restaurants, theaters and other facilities in the US state of California will be banned due to the steep increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases, the California governor has announced. The governor of Michigan, in the north of the country, also announced the closure of most bars. Brazil, which ranks second in the ranking of the countries most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, has reached the threshold of 60,000 deaths associated with the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus.

UN. The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in conflict zones around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Washington, the call for a global armistice, except for the anti-terrorist operations, was delayed by three months, due to the disputes between the United States and China. The resolution, which was introduced in the Council by France and Tunisia, is the first related to the coronavirus pandemic. It covers the conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Libya, South Sudan and Congo and does not apply to military operations against ISIS and Al-Qaeda. The resolution calls for “all parties to armed conflicts to engage immediately in a durable humanitarian pause for at least 90 consecutive days” to allow for delivery of humanitarian assistance and medical evacuations.

Russia. The Russians overwhelmingly approved the amendment to the constitution, which strengthens the power of President Vladimir Putin. The Radio Romania correspondent in Moscow recalls that the most contested amendment gives Putin the right to run for two more six-year presidential terms. The amendments extend the prerogatives of parliament, government and the judiciary, but maintain and strengthen the presidents control over the main state institutions and decision-making mechanisms. The new version of the fundamental law bans the alienation of Russian territory, which also includes Crimea and the South Kurile Islands, and imposes the priority of Russian law over international law. Also, elements of the current conservative ideology of the Kremlin are introduced in the Constitution, being mentioned the faith in God, the marriage as a union between a man and a woman, and the defense of historical memory. The opposition condemns the amendments as an attempt to extend Putins power. (M. Ignatescu)