November 24, 2021 UPDATE

A news roundup

Newsroom, 24.11.2021, 20:00

COVID Ro — The Romanian authorities on Wednesday announced that nearly 2,800 people had tested positive for SARS-COV-2 in the last 24 hours across Romania. Also, 231 deaths were reported, of which 36 registered prior to the reference interval. In Bucharest, the incidence rate calculated for a period of 14 days decreased to 2.87 cases per thousand inhabitants, after, on October 22, it had reached the highest value since the beginning of the pandemic – 16.54. The interim health minister, Attila Cseke, asked the public health directorates from all over the country to remain on alert, even if the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections is decreasing. At the same time, he called for plans to be drafted within a week to deal with a predictable 5th wave of the epidemic, says the coordinator of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, Colonel Valeriu Gheorghiţă, given the increase the number of new cases in many European countries. On Wednesday, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, confirmed that he was vaccinated against COVID-19. “The official stand of the Church remains the same: each believer should consult with the family doctor,” he told reporters. So far, in Romania, the number of fully vaccinated people has exceeded 7.2 million.

COVID world — Mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 is an idea that enjoys widespread support among the German population, according to a poll released by YouGov on Wednesday, informs DPA. The prestigious market research and analysis company announced that 69% of the interviewees were in favor of compulsory vaccination and 23% against. Germany, which is experiencing a recrudescence of the number of infections, is introducing a number of new anti-epidemic measures. Thus, the green certificate becomes mandatory at work and for the use of means of transport. Besides the measures established at federal level, the German states also impose other anti-epidemic restrictions. For example, bars and clubs are closed in Bavaria, and the famous Christmas fairs will no longer take place this year. In Germany, the vaccination rate is 68%, one of the lowest in Western Europe. There are also problems in northern Italy, where traffic restrictions have been imposed at nighttime due to the alarming increase in new cases of coronavirus. To date, 84% of Italys population has received at least two doses of vaccine. The number of COVID cases is also rising in France, where the PM Jean Castex has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. In France, 88% of the eligible population over 12 years is fully vaccinated. The health situation is also complicated in Greece, where the pressure on hospitals treating COVID patients is high. The Greek government says, however, that it does not envisage a general lockdown, as the measure will not be supported by the countrys economy. The vaccination rate in Greece has exceeded 63%.

National Day – In Bucharest, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies met in a solemn joint session, dedicated to Romania’s National Day to be marked on December 1. The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, underlined that the entire political class had the duty to stabilize the country in the next period and that pride and political interests should be abandoned. “This holiday reminds us that we have a duty to work together. It is our duty towards the Romanian people and Romania”, Ciolacu said. The Vice President of the Senate, Alina Gorghiu, pointed out that December 1st means national unity, and equally devotion, responsibility, duty, and political courage. Among the guests of the meeting were members of the Government, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bucharest, the Archbishop of the Greek Catholic Church, the First Rabbi of Romania, the presidents of the Constitutional Court, the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the Court of Accounts, the central bank governor as well as the heads of the diplomatic missions and of the international representations accredited to Bucharest. Romanias National Day has been marked on December 1 since 1990, after the anti-communist revolution. On December 1, 1918, the National Assembly of Alba Iulia (center) adopted the resolution of the union with Romania of the historical provinces inhabited by the Romanians.