May 2, 2020
A roundup of domestic and international news.
Newsroom, 02.05.2020, 13:55
CORONAVIRUS ROMANIA — The death toll from coronavirus in Romania is 755, after another 11 people have died, the Group for Strategic Communication has announced on Saturday. The number of confirmed infections stands at 12,730, with 4,547 people having recovered and 265 in intensive care. As many as 2,349 Romanians have been infected abroad, of whom 93 have died. Flights from Romania to Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, the US, Britain, the Netherlands, Turkey and Iran will further be suspended until the 14th of May. In another development, an aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces transported 90 thousand protective masks from Romania to Madrid. These protective masks are part of Romania’s medical reserves for the COVID-19 pandemic purchased with funds from the 10-million Euro grant from the European Commission through the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).
PANDEMIC — The global death toll from COVID-19 exceeded 239 thousand, with 3.3 million people infected, according to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. China, the country where the epidemic started has reported only 1 new infection. The US has reported 18 hundred deaths in the last 24 hours, which takes the death toll in this country to almost 65 thousand. Restrictions are being eased as of today in several European countries such as Spain and Italy. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Rome, 4.5 million people will go to work on Monday in Italy.
MARATHON – Each of the 150 participants in the 24-hour ultra-marathon “I Run 24h Autism Black Sea” is running at least 100 km at home, starting today, the organizers of the event have said in a release carried by AGERPRES news agency. For the first time in the competition’s history, the event is not being held on the beach front of Mamaia resort but at the domicile of each participant, due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Participants want to financially support children suffering from autism who are isolated at home and cannot continue their treatment.
INTEREST RATES – Natural persons and companies in Romania faced with financial difficulties can ask for a postponement of their interest rate payments, until the end of May, according to the Government’s Emergency Order. A request in this respect should be submitted via email, over the phone or printed. Around 260 thousand natural persons and 10 thousand companies have so far submitted applications for the postponement of the interest rate payments. Banks in Romania have as clients around 1.5 million natural persons and 100 thousand companies.
TOURISM – Romanian Finance Minister Florin Citu has said he will meet with representatives of the tourism industry next week, to discuss measures to support this sector that has been seriously affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The minister said that, besides facilities granted under the IMM Invest program, the payment of technical unemployment and postponement of interest rate payments, tourism operators also need specific measures to restart their businesses. Travel agencies representatives say that the sector lost around 60 million euros on May 1st alone, which is the day when the summer season officially opened on the Black Sea coast. More than 30 thousand tourists spent May 1st there last year.
EDUCATION – Romanian Education Minister Monica Anisie does not rule out the possibility for schools to remain closed in September as well and says that until then all students should have access to online learning. In an interview for a TV station she said the Education Ministry will also prepare video lessons. Classes will not be resumed during this school year in Romania, except for the 8th and 12th graders who will return to school for their final exams. (Translated by Elena Enache)
