June 25, 2021

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 25.06.2021, 13:55

Covid-19. The Romanian government has further eased
coronavirus restrictions from 1st July. More people will be allowed
to attend private events, clubs, restaurants and cafes will be able to stay
open until later, sports competitions can be held at a maximum 50% capacity and
hotels and guesthouses can have 100% occupancy. 65 new Covid cases, from over
30,000 tests, were reported in Romania on Friday, as well as 7 fatalities
recorded in the last 24 hours. 121 Covid patients are in intensive care. So
far, over 4.6 Romanians have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine,
accounting for 25% of the country’s eligible population.

Summit. The European Union dismissed
the possibility of a summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin as long as
there are no changes in Moscow’s behaviour. EU leaders called on Russia to show
more constructive engagement and stop actions against the community bloc and
neighbouring countries. German chancellor Angela Merkel, who, together with
French president Emmanuel Macron, supported
the idea of a top level meeting, said she would have liked a more courageous
step from the Union and that dialogue with Russia must be maintained. Eastern
European leaders said, however, that a summit with Putin without preconditions
would send a very bad signal. Today, the EU heads of state and government are
discussing the EU’s post-pandemic economic recovery plan and the Covid green
certificate, which is coming into force on 1st July and is meant to facilitate
the freedom of movement for fully vaccinated persons and those who have
recovered from the infection. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent,
president Klaus Iohannis said Romania is doing fairly well with respect to its
recovery and resilience plan and that the talks with the European Commission
are very beneficial. He explained that a quick approval of the plan would not
help and all its aspects must be clarified first to ensure its fast and good
implementation.

Health. Romania’s health insurance
system will change from 1st July. Under an emergency order
clarifying the application of individual contributions to the medical system, the
so-called co-payment, patients will be able to seek treatment in private
hospitals, with some of the costs being covered by the state. Each person
insured will receive a cost estimate from the clinic where they seek treatment
which will be valid for five working days and during which patients will be
able to look for other treatment offers. The new provisions will apply to
continuous hospitalisation, in particular as a result of surgery, and from next
year, also to outpatient care and medical tests.

Education. The number of pupils and students in
the national education system in Romania in the 2020-2021 school year dropped
by 31,600 compared with the previous period, now standing at almost 3.5
million. Romania has one teacher for every 15 pupils and students, according to
data published on Friday by the National Institute for Statistics. Over the analysed
period, 45.5% of the country’s school-age children were in primary and
secondary education, 17.8% in high school and 15% in nursery and pre-school education.
73% of Romania’s pupils and students studied in the urban area.

Weather. Romanians
are struggling with a heat wave. The highest temperatures are expected in the
west of the country, with forecasts of up to 41 degrees Celsius. Eight counties
in the west and north-west are under a red code alert, while the rest of the
counties in the western part of Romania are under an amber code alert. A yellow
code alert is in place for the rest of the country for heat and thermal
discomfort. An amber code alert for heavy rain, strong winds and hail storms is
also in place for today in 32 counties. A yellow code alert has also been
issued today for strong atmospheric instability around the country, from Friday
at noon until Saturday evening. (CM)