June 14, 2020

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 14.06.2020, 14:08

Diplomacy. 140 years after their establishment, the diplomatic ties between Romania and the United States of America are stronger than ever, president Klaus Iohannis says in a message conveyed today. According to the Romanian head of state, “to Romania, the US has proven, especially in the past two decades, that it is the firm ally we need in important moments, thus constantly accompanying us on the path chosen by our country to strengthen its citizens security and prosperity.” In turn, president Iohannis also states, “Romania has outlined its profile as a reliable partner and active NATO ally, which assumes strong commitments and contributes to joint security together with the US, through consistent participation in missions such as the one in Afghanistan, or by consolidating defence on the eastern flank of the Alliance.” “The upward trajectory of our bilateral relations is highlighted by our Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century, an essential dimension of Romanias foreign policy, which provides broad prospects of cooperation in a wide range of fields – politics, security, economy, research, technology, science and education, as well as interpersonal contacts”, the Romanian presidents message also reads.

Covid-19 RO. As of June 15th, Romanians arriving from 17 European countries will no longer be quarantined or self-isolated, and flights to an from those countries will resume, the National Committee for Emergency Situations has decided. These countries are Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Croatia, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary. The list will be updated weekly, every Monday, in keeping with the epidemiological situation. Also on Monday, a new stage of relaxation of the restrictions imposed to limit the spread of the new coronavirus begins in Romania. The malls will be reopened, except for the restaurants, cinemas and playgrounds inside. Also, gyms and outdoor swimming pools will start to function, as will the Romanian Lottery, sports betting and gambling facilities. Nurseries and after-school units might also be reopened, during the summer holidays. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban has stated, however, that he will ask for the extension of the state of alert by 30 days, saying that the decision is not political, but scientifically grounded, having public health considerations behind it. The most recent report of the Strategic Coordination Group indicates 320 new cases of contamination with the new coronavirus, the most since the state of alert was declared on May 15th, which gradually brought about a string of measures to relax the restrictions. The number of people who have died of Covid-19 in Romania has reached 1420.

Pandemic. Close to 7.9 million people have been infected with the new coronavirus around the world, and 433 thousand have died. More than 4 million people have recovered. The United States, the worlds largest economic power, is by far the country most severely affected by the pandemic, both in terms of deaths – over 115,000 and the number of diagnosed cases – about 2,100,000 in total until Saturday night. The number of new infections is still hovering around an average of 20,000, and the US is struggling to get out of this area as infections have moved from one part of the country to another. President Donald Trumps administration has warned, on the other hand, that any new economic lockdown in the event of a second wave is ruled out. The second most affected country remains Brazil, where more than 850,000 people have been infected, and the death toll is close to 43,000. On the other hand, China hs announced today 57 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 – the highest daily number since April, which raises fears of a second epidemiological wave in the country. France Presse reports that a new source of contamination was detected in southern Beijing, in a market that sells mainly meat, fish and vegetables, and the discovery led to the isolation of 11 residential areas in the vicinity. In Europe, the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections continues to drop, and since Monday, several European countries have been relaxing border restrictions.

Protests. Violent protests took place on Saturday in London and Paris. Thousands of people gathered in the British Parliament area under the pretext that they wanted to defend the statues from anti-racism demonstrators. Separately, the already regular anti-racisms protest was organised in one of the central parks, and the police tried to keep the two groups apart. British police arrested 100 people after far-right protesters began throwing objects at law enforcement officers. Anti-racism protests were also held in 12 other British cities, and violence was reported in Newcastle and Brighton. Dozen of people were also detained in Paris after clashes between protesters and police. French law enforcement used tear gas against protesters, who threw stones. Similar demonstrations were held in Switzerland too. In Zurich, hundreds of members of the radical left confronted the police. Since the death of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis, in May, while in police custody, demonstrations against racisms and police abuse have been held in several countries.

Weather. Romania is under a yellow storm code, and the situation will get worse this afternoon. Most of the territory will gradually fall under an orange code for thunder and hail storms. The only exceptions will be a few counties in the south and southeast of the country, which will remain under the yellow code. The quantities of water will exceed 25-30 l / sqm, and on restricted areas they will reach 40-60 l / sqm. Hydrologists have also issued orange and yellow code warnings for several rivers. Yesterdays weather, marked by rains and storms, caused damage in several areas, and a 4-year-old child caught in the flood died. Meteorologists say atmospheric instability will continue throughout the week in most parts of the country, so warnings may be extended. Todays maximum temperatures will range between 22 and 30 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 30 degrees Celsius. (M.Ignatescu)