November 30, 2021

Newsroom, 30.11.2021, 14:46

COVID-19 Over 1,600 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours were reported on
Tuesday in Romania, along with 147 deaths, 17 of which from a previous date. Doctors
warn that although ambulance services are receiving fewer requests for home
testing, a large number of teams are still being deployed. After several states
announced finding the Omicron variant of the virus, which has over 50 mutations,
tests in Romania are now taking into account this strain as well. Meanwhile,
the vaccination rate remains low, with only around 12,800 people getting the
first dose on Monday, and almost twice as many booster doses administered on
the same day.

REPATRIATION The Romanian nationals stranded in South Africa following
the suspension of flights to the EU over the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, are
scheduled to land today on Otopeni Airport near Bucharest. All the passengers
will be tested and quarantined. The around 50 seats available in the Tarom aircraft
that flew to Pretoria were offered to other EU member states to repatriate
their own citizens, as part of the European civil protection mechanism. The
Romanian foreign ministry announced today that after Moroccan authorities
decided to suspend commercial flights to that country over Omicron concerns, the
Romanian Embassy to Rabat is handling the situation of 72 Romanian tourists
whose flights have been cancelled. The Romanian embassy has already taken steps
to identify alternative flights. The foreign ministry urges citizens to analyse
the situation carefully before traveling to countries affected by the new
coronavirus variant and to check out the COVID-19 Travel Warnings section on
the institution’s home page.

NATO The Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu takes part on
Tuesday and Wednesday in a meeting of NATO foreign ministers held in Riga, Latvia.
The meeting is a major landmark in preparing negotiations on NATO’s new
Strategic Concept and for the summit due in Madrid next year. Minister Bogdan
Aurescu will reiterate Romania’s support for preparing the new Strategic Concept,
able to provide adequate response instruments to the challenges of the current
security environment. According to the foreign ministry, Aurescu will also
discuss the latest security developments in the Eastern Neighbourhood and the
need to carry on efforts to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence posture in
a coherent and comprehensive manner for the entire Eastern Flank, including the
Black Sea region.

ST. ANDREW Christians around the world
celebrate today St. Andrew’s feast day. Andrew the Apostle is the patron saint
of Romania. He spread the word of God and baptized the first people in today’s Dobrogea, on the Black Sea coast.
St. Andrew was martyred by crucifixion on an X-shaped cross in the city of Patras,
in Greece. Over 900,000 Romanians are named after St. Andrew the Apostle.

FAIR Romania is taking part, until December 2, in the 2nd
edition of Egypt’s International Defence Expo, EDEX 2021, hosted by Cairo. Public
defence companies as well as private operators will be present. Some 400
companies from around the world are taking part in this year’s edition,
showcasing the latest technologies in the field of defence.

NATIONAL DAY 1,500 troops, Interior and Defence Ministry staff, as well
as foreign military will take part on December 1 in a parade celebrating
Romania’s National Day in Bucharest. Alba Iulia will also host a military
parade, a photo exhibition and concerts to mark the occasion. Proclaimed a
national holiday after the 1989 anti-communist revolution, December 1 marks the completion of the
Romanian nation state in 1918, after World War 2, by the union of all
territories with predominantly Romanian population. (tr. A.M. Popescu)