May 8, 2020 UPDATE

State of the art COVID-19 hospital opens in Bucharest

Newsroom, 08.05.2020, 20:00

COVID-19. A total of 923 people infected with the novel coronavirus have died in Romania since the start of the pandemic. The number of confirmed cases is over 14,800, while more than 6,400 people have recovered. Among the Romanians living abroad, the number of infections reaches 2,444, mostly reported in Italy and Spain, while the death toll is 96. Meanwhile, a new, state of the art modular hospital was opened in Bucharest, able to treat 500 Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms.

ECONOMY The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis Friday said the countrys budget deficit will be larger than expected and will have to be financed. The head of state had a meeting with PM Ludovic Orban, the finance minister Florin Cîţu, and the governor of the National Bank of Romania, Mugur Isărescu, to assess the economic situation in the context of the crisis generated by the Covid-19 outbreak. Klaus Iohannis said that very coherent measures are required to help restart the economy, which is currently in a crisis situation. He argued that solutions have been identified, which can be implemented if all stakeholders work together. Previously, PM Ludovic Orban had another meeting on Friday with cabinet ministers in the economic sector, to put together a post-crisis recovery plan.

GDP Romanias contribution to the EU GDP was 1.6% last year, the same as the Czech Republics but higher than Portugals (1.5%) and Greeces (1.3%), according to data released on Friday by Eurostat. Romanias GDP stood at around 223 billion euros, while the overall EU GDP was 13,900 billion euro. Around one-quarter of this was generated by Germany, followed by France, Italy and Spain. Eurostat warns that a sharp drop in the Unions economy is expected this year, following the restrictions aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic.

TRANSPORT The European Commission will carry on investments in railway infrastructure “across the European Union, because this type of transport is the most sustainable, said the European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean, in an online dialogue with EU citizens. She emphasised that railway transport produces low carbon emissions, carries large volumes and is a type of infrastructure that only requires upgrading. Vǎlean added that some of the money for economic recovery should be channelled into such projects.

VE DAY Against the background of the coronavirus pandemic, European countries Friday marked the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked the Allied armies that continue to play a key role in fighting current security threats, including the ongoing pandemic. NATO was forged on the ruins of the war, built on the unbreakable bond between Europe and North America, and cemented by our solemn promise to protect each other. One for all, and all for one. 30 friends and allies, stronger together, Stoltenberg concluded in a video message. On Thursday, the foreign ministers of nine European countries, including Romania, as well as the United States signed a joint declaration on this anniversary in which they paid tribute to the victims of war and the soldiers who fought to defeat Nazi Germany and put an end to the Holocaust.

PANDEMIC The number of coronavirus infections worldwide is now over 3.9 million, while the death toll is 270,000. Over 1.3 million people have recovered, according to Worldometer. The United States is the worst hit country in the world, with 2,400 deaths reported in 24 hours, taking the death toll to more than 75,500, Johns Hopkins University has announced. In Europe, the UK remains the worst affected country, with over 30,000 deaths, followed by Italy, Spain, France and Germany. Russia, where 10,000 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, is now fifth in the world in terms of the number of infections, with over 187,000, overtaking Germany and France. Meanwhile, restrictions are being eased in Norway and Denmark, where schools and shopping centres are reopening. In Bulgaria, domestic tourism will resume on May 13, when the state of emergency ends, but authorities are yet to decide when foreign tourists will be allowed in the country. Over half of Japans prefectures have decided to lift some of the restrictions, whereas Kuwait introduces a state of emergency and a 20-day lockdown.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)