September 27, 2020 UPDATE
Newsroom, 27.09.2020, 23:14
COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Another 1,438 new cases of COVID-19
have been reported in the past 24 hours in Romania, taking the total number of
infections to 122,673, according to data published on Sunday by the Strategic
Communication Group. Another 31 people infected with the new coronavirus have
died, taking the total death toll to 4,718. More than 98,600 patients have
recovered, with 535 people currently in ICUs. The number of Romanians from
abroad confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 is 6,693, with 126 people having died. Family
physicians have recommend the population should take the anti-flu shot to
reduce the risk of a possible overalp of seasonal flu with COVID-19. As part of
a campaign run by the Health Ministry, free immunization will benefit
especially the people over 65 with chronic diseases, children, the
institutionalized elderly, pregnant women and medical staff.
COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – As many as 33 million people across
the world have got infected with the new coronavirus. Since the start of the
pandemic, in late 2019 in China, almost 1 million people have died. The WHO
warns that the new coronavirus is likely to kill more than 2 million people if
action is not taken internationally to fight the disease. The US continues to
be the country with the biggest number of contaminations and deaths. Over 7.1
million Americans have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and more than 207,000 have
died. Europe is also facing problems, with Russia reporting almost 8 thousand
cases in the last 24 hours. Great Britain is now in the grips of a second wave
of the pandemic.
CONFLICT – The evolution of the situation between Armenia
and Azerbaijan is troubling and Romania is calling on both sides to resume
political dialogue to work out solutions through peaceful means, said the
Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, as quoted by Agerpres. The president
of the European Council Charles Michel in turn asked for the cessation of
hostilities between the troops of Azerbaijan and the separatists in
Nagorno-Karabakh and for the immediate start of negotiations. He made this
appeal after Armenia on Sunday decreed martial law and total military
mobilization following clashes with Azerbaijan in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia said that Azerbaijan had launched an air and artillery attack in
Nagorno-Karabakh while Azerbaijan accused the Armenian forces of bombing
military and civilian targets from its territory. The two countries from the
Caucasus have been stuck in an unresolved conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh
internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic
Armenians. Although a ceasefire agreement was concluded in 1994, Armenia and
Azerbaijan have been frequently accusing each other of attacks on the region of
Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict worries the West as it might increase
instability in South Caucasus, a region serving as corridor for the oil an gas
pipelines towards the world markets.
TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world no. 2
and seeded first at Roland Garros, on Sunday qualified to the second round of
the Grand Slam tournament in Paris after ousting Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain
in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0. The winner of the title in 2018, Halep will next take
on another Romanian player, Irina Begu (73 WTA), who in the first round
defeated Jil Teichmann of Switzerland (53 WTA) at the end of three sets.
Another five Romanian players will be competing in the women’s singles on
Monday. Monica Niculescu (141 WTA) will be playing Danielle Collins of the
United States (57 WTA), Irina Bara (142 WTA) will take on Donna Vekić (30 WTA)
of Croatia. Patricia Ţig (59 WTA) will play Stefanie Voegele (117 WTA) of
Switzerland, Sorana Cîrstea (84 WTA) will go up against Elena Rybakina (18 WTA)
of Kazakhstan, while Ana Bogdan (93 WTA) will take on Timea Babos (107 WTA) of
Hungary. Romania is also represented in the doubles events.
(Translated by L. Simion & V. Palcu)
