November 2, 2020

A roundup of domestic and international news

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Newsroom, 02.11.2020, 13:53

COVID-19 RO. Bucharests Committee for Emergency Situations has decided today that schools in the capital will remain closed for another 14 days, and courses will continue to be held online. At the same time, the current restrictions will be maintained in the next two weeks. The new Prefect of the Capital, Traian Berbeceanu, has announced that no relaxation measures will be taken, given the increase in the number of cases of infection in Bucharest. He has also stressed, however, that no new restrictions will be imposed in addition to those already in place. According to the latest data presented by the authorities, in the capital, the infection rate stands at 3.79 cases per thousand inhabitants. On Monday, another 4,401 new cases of infection with the new coronavirus were announced, out of almost 10,566 tests performed. Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 25 thousand people have got infected in Romania. Most new cases have been registered in Bucharest. Another 86 people have died and the total number of deaths due to COVID 19 has reached 7,154. 916 patients are in intensive care .

PANDEMIC. The number of cases of infection with Sars-Cov-2 worldwide is close to 47 million, and the number of deaths has exceeded 1.2 million. In Europe, the threshold of 10 million cases has been reached. Thats why the week begins with new restrictions in many countries. Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom have announced strict isolation measures for at least a month, similar to those in March and April, with economic activity suspended. The UK, however, leaves schools and universities open, and the government will pay 80% of the salaries of those on furlough by December. Portugal has also imposed a partial quarantine, with authorities warning that this is just the beginning. France, Spain and Italy are tightening restrictions that have already been imposed for several weeks. In order to avoid a general quarantine, Slovakia, on the other hand, relies on massive population testing. Slovakia has a population of 5.5 million, and of the more than 2.5 million Slovaks tested so far, some 25,000, that is 1%, have tested positive and will be quarantined.

MOLDOVA. In the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, mostly Romanian-speaking), pro-European candidate Maia Sandu won the first round of Sundays presidential election with more than 36% of the votes, according to partial results. Maia Sandu is followed by pro-Russia President Igor Dodon, with more than 32 percent, whom she will face in the second round of elections on November 15. In 3rd and 4th place were two candidates who are vying with Igor Dodon for the left-wing electorate. The other four candidates who are pro-European or militating for the union with Romania obtained, together, a little over 8% of the votes.

US ELECTION. US President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, have ended their last weekend of campaigning in states that can decide the outcome of Tuesdays (November 3) presidential election. Donald Trump anticipates a wave of Republican victories, while Joe Biden says the chaos of the current Trump administration is coming to an end. At least 90 million Americans have already voted in advance. Participation is considered historic. We remind you that the voting system in the United States, unique in the world, was created over 200 years ago and is adapted to the needs of a current population of over 300 million people. It is a complicated combination of direct and indirect voting. Americans have three possibilities to express their options: by mail or by going to the polls in advance or on election day. They do not vote for the president, but for the list of voters who have confirmed their support for one of the candidates. Then, every four years, on the first Tuesday in November, on the day of the election itself, the voters nominate the president, who must gather at least 270 votes out of a total of 538.

JOURNALISTS. 32 journalists and media collaborators have been killed since the beginning of the year, according to Reporters Without Borders (RWB), which states that the number remains worrying, although it has declined compared to 2019 due to the pandemic, as many journalists are no longer working in the field. On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, marked today, RWB reiterates its call on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to create a post of special representative for the security of journalists. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is also launching a global campaign to denounce those who order crimes against journalists and go unpunished, but also to urge governments to take urgent action against impunity and to protect press freedom.

TAROM. The flights of the Romanian company TAROM to and from Brussels are suspended, today, but also on November 9 and 16, due to the current epidemiological context, the state-owned airline operator has announced. Also, for 3 weeks, more precisely between November 7 and 30, all flights to and from London will be canceled. This month, on several days, Tarom will not fly to Munich or Amsterdam either. (M. Ignatescu)