March 27, 2020 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 27.03.2020, 20:18

COVID-19 Romania – In Romania, the National Public Health Institute has updated the COVID-19 testing algorithm. Therefore, tests will be made on the people who travelled abroad, close contacts of the confirmed cases who show symptoms, the medical and sanitary staff showing symptoms and the cases of pneumonia, from all age categories and from all hospitals. The latest figures issued by the authorities point to 1292 cases of infection and 25 deaths. 115 people have recovered. In the Diaspora, 11 Romanian citizens have died following infection with COVID-19, mostly in Italy. According to the PM Ludovic Orban the main objective is to protect the health and life of the citizens and to contain the spread of the virus and increase diagnostic capabilities.

Funds – Romania believes that the EU needs to show increased flexibility and provide adapted solutions to respond more efficiently to the increasing needs in the healthcare system and to combat the economic effects of the progressive spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a communiqué of the Ministry for European Funds, Romania participated on Friday in the summit of the EU members and of the EC regarding the newly created Investment Initiative for combating the coronavirus, held as a video conference and chaired by the Croat presidency of the Council of the EU. The initiative provides for specific measures. Romania intends to use European funds to support, among others, the people who are in technical unemployment, the employees of companies whose activity was affected, the essential health programs and services, temporary employment of medial staff, and to purchase medical devices.

COVID – 19 Europe – The President of the EP David Sassoli said Friday that he expected EU leaders to show increased responsibility during Thursday’s teleconference summit, adding that the EU was more than the sum of national governments. At the summit of the 27 EU countries, it was decided to postpone looking into ampler measures against the economic consequences of the pandemic. The Italian PM Giuseppe Conte threatened not to sign a joint declaration if the EU did not adopt special measures. The officials of the 27 members have agreed to come up with proposals in 2 weeks’ time. At global level the number of COVID-19 infections has exceeded 550 thousand and the number of deaths is beyond 25 thousand. In Italy, in the past 24 hours, a record number of deaths, almost 1,000, has been reported. (update by L. Simion)