November 5, 2021 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 05.11.2021, 20:59
COVID-19 8,268 Covid-19 infections and 483 fatalities have been reported by the
authorities in the past 24 hours in Romania. All ICUs across the country are
functioning at full capacity and most of the cases have been reported in
Bucharest where the infection rate is going down under 12 per thousand. Romania
presently has 38 Covid patients who are being treated abroad and medical teams
from several countries have arrived in Romania to provide assistance. On Friday
the country exceeded the threshold of 50 thousand Covid-related fatalities
since the beginning of the pandemic. Romania’s vaccine rollout has slowed down
in the past days after having been on the rise for two weeks. Roughly 90
thousand people have been vaccinated in the past 24 hours bringing the total
number of fully vaccinated Romanians to a little below 6.5 million.
GOVERNMENT On
Monday the National Political Bureau of National Liberal Party -
PNL will make a decision regarding the negotiations with Save Romania
Union – USR and the Social Democratic Party – PSD, the interim Prime Minister
and Liberal leader Florin Cîţu announced on Friday. According to him, at the
meeting with PSD, the option of a rotating prime minister position was
suggested, but they did not talk about portfolios. He said that the talks with
USR, a former governing partner, would continue. On Thursday, Florin Cîţu
declared after the negotiations with the PSD leader, Marcel Ciolacu, that he
found many things that could bring the two parties together. In his turn,
the Social Democrat’s president said that the two parties are on a correct
path, which could lead to the formation of a majority. The PNL and PSD
negotiating teams are trying to find a governing formula, with a solid
parliamentary majority, after two attempts to form a minority government failed.
On Thursday evening, President Klaus Iohannis announced that he would call the
parties for consultations only when an assumed parliamentary majority is
formed. We recall that the minority government made up of the PNL – UDMR headed
by Florin Citu was dismissed by a no confidence motion.
SCHOOL
Classes are going to start on November 8 for all students and preschoolers in
Romania, both in the state and private education systems, the interim Education
Minister, Sorin Cîmpeanu said in a news conference on Friday. He explained that
courses will be attended physically in the schools where the COVID vaccination
rate among teachers is over 60%. One week ago, the minister had announced that
more than half of the schools and kindergartens exceeded this level. Instead,
several student associations across the country request the opening of schools
with physical attendance only in those localities where the incidence of COVID
cases is less than 6 per thousand inhabitants.
WHO
A World Health Organization delegation is in Bucharest where they visited
several hospitals in Romania. Their conclusion is that the situation in
hospitals across Romania is dramatic and immediate medical measures are needed
to protect vulnerable people, above all. At the same time, vaccination against
COVID-19 is the main solution to prevent new waves of infection. WHO
representatives have also met with members of the parliamentary health
committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
MOSCOW Romanian swimmer Robert Glinta
has won silver in the 100 meter backstroke race of the European Short Course
Swimming Championship held in Kazan, Russia. The Romanian came second after
Russian Kliment Kolesnikov. This has been Glinta’s second medal in the
competition after that in the 50 meter race. His prize closet includes four
European medals in short course competitions in 2017 in Copenhagen and 2019 in
Glasgow. Glinta also won gold in the 100 meter backstroke race of the European
Swimming Championships held in Budapest this year.
(bill)