October 4, 2020

Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 04.10.2020, 13:53

PANDEMIC Over 35 million people have been confirmed infected with the
novel coronavirus worldwide and the death toll stands at more than one million
people, according to worldometers.
The US continues to be the most affected with 7.6 million infections and a
death toll over 214 thousand. The novel coronavirus has killed more than 100
thousand people in India, which has reported over 6.5 million infections.
Brazil has a death toll of 146 thousand and 5 million infections. Europe has
also been affected; Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic have reported a
growing number of infections, which is also on the rise in Italy, where
authorities are considering an extended state of emergency until February next
year.

COVID-19 1,835 people have tested positive
for the novel coronavirus in Romania on Sunday; the local authorities have also
announced 56 fatalities. 598 patients are in intensive care units while the
death toll since the beginning of the pandemic stands at 5,003. Romania has so
far reported a total number of 135,900 infections. In spite of the growing
number of infections, the authorities believe they don’t need to impose another
state of emergency. They insist on prevention though by observing the safety
measures already known such as social distancing, disinfection and the wearing
of masks in public places. According to Raed Arafat, head of the Department for
Emergency Situations, tougher restriction measures could be imposed in certain
areas, if the situation worsened.

ELECTION An election campaign has
kicked off in the Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova for the presidential
election on November 1st against a recrudescence of the Covid-19
epidemic. 8 candidates are vying for the presidential seat but only two stand
chances, the incumbent president, the pro-Russia Socialist Igor Dodon and the
leader of the Action and Solidarity Party and former Prime Minister Maia Sandu,
who is seen as pro-Europe. Dodon won the 2016 election by getting a little over
52% of the votes and experts believe the two candidates are going to be neck and
neck in the upcoming election.

TENNIS The odds-on favourite of the Roland Garros tennis tournament, Romanian
Simona Halep was outperformed today by Iga Swiatek of Poland in the
competition’s round of 16. The two also played against each other in the same
competition a year ago, and the game went to Simona in 45 minutes. Simona came after
a two-set win against US challenger Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-1. Another two
Romanian players were eliminated in the third round on Saturday when Irina Bara
lost to Sofia Kenin of the USA 6-2, 6-0 and Patricia Tig to Fiona Ferro of
France, 7-6, 4-6, 6-0.

DEFENCE Romanian president Klaus
Iohannis has summoned the Higher Defence Council (CSAT) on October 6th
for talks over the country’s defence and national security. No details on the
talks agenda have been made available. The latest CSAT session was held in late
May when the country’s national defence strategy was discussed.

(bill)