May 3, 2020 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news.

Newsroom, 03.05.2020, 20:00

PANDEMIC – The European Union will host an online conference on May 4 for governments and organisations to pledge money to support the search for a vaccine to the novel coronavirus. At least 7.5 billion euros are needed in this respect. The next key-stages of this global campaign will be announced by the European Commission on Monday. The number of infections with the novel coronavirus has reached 3.5 million worldwide, with one third of the cases in the US. Around 245 thousand people have died to the disease across the globe. According to the BBC, churches in Germany were opened on Sunday for the first time since the lockdown began last month. Mosques in Iran, closed since mid-March are to be opened in some cities as of Monday and the state of emergency was lifted in Portugal on Sunday and replaced with a less severe state of calamity. Adults in Spain were able to exercise outdoors on Saturday for the first time in seven weeks, as the lockdown was eased for children under 14 a week ago. Lockdowns in other European countries are also being eased, although social distancing remains in force. Some countries require mask-wearing in shops and on public transport. The leaders of France, Italy, Germany and Norway will hold a videoconference on Monday to promise the allocation of billions of dollars for finding a vaccine and treatments against COVID-19.

CORONAVIRUS ROMANIA – The death toll from the coronavirus was 790 in Romania on Sunday, according to the authorities. Over 13,163 confirmed infections, of which 400 in the last 24 hours have been reported, and over 4,900 recoveries. The county of Suceava and the capital Bucharest have reported most cases, followed by Arad and Hunedoara. Authorities say the peak of the epidemic has not been reached yet in the country and talk about the prospective easing of restrictions as of May 15, when the state of emergency is lifted. Over 2,300 Romanian citizens have been infected with the coronavirus abroad, of whom 93 have died.

SUPPORT – An aircraft of the Romanian Air Forces transported 90 thousand protective masks from Romania to Madrid on Sunday, the Romanian Defense Ministry has announced. 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).

PRESS FREEDOM – On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, celebrated on Sunday, the EU High Representative Josep Borrell, made public a message on behalf of the European Union. “The EU strongly reaffirms its continued support for the key role of independent and reliable media all around the world. Press freedom is a right, not just of media professionals, but of each and every one of us,” the message reads. The message also says that “in too many countries journalists have to contend with restrictive legislation, sometimes ascribed to the COVID-19 emergency, that curbs freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. Also, Internet shutdowns and website closures are proliferating.” According to the 2020 World Press Freedom Report, drawn up by Reporters without Borders, respect for press freedom has not improved in Romania. ”The attitude towards journalism and free speech that prevails within the state and the political class continues to encourage censorship and self-censorship. The media’s funding mechanisms are opaque or even corrupt, and editorial policies are subordinated to owner interests. The media have gradually been turned into political propaganda tools (…),” the report reads. Romania thus ranks 48th in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, one place down as against the previous year. As many as 180 countries are included in this classification, where the first place is taken by Norway and the last place by North Korea. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, the freedom of the press is the guarantee of any functional democracy and marking this day is all the more important as the democratic community is put to the test through the exceptional measures taken in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PLAN – A Romanian employer’s association representing investors in hospitality industry has proposed Government a 3-stage plan to be implemented after the state of emergency is lifted on May 15. The first stage would last two weeks and would include the reopening of terraces with the observance of a minimum 2-meter safety distance and a maximum number of 200 customers at the same time. The second stage, to start on June 1st, consists in the implementation of the same measures for the indoor facilities – restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc — without exceeding 50% of their capacity. Finally, in the third stage, to start on June 15, activity in the hospitality industry would be resumed completely, with the observance of the safety distance and of the hygiene measures and only if there is a positive evolution of the COVID-19 indices. (Translated by Elena Enache)