Less restrictions during the holidays
Restrictions will be eased in Romania, but the state of alert will be extended. The new rules will also apply for the entire duration of the winter holidays.
Daniela Budu, 08.12.2021, 14:00
With a vaccination rate below the EU average and with more permissive restrictions than in other EU countries, Romania will ease sanitary measures during the winter holidays. The National Committee for Emergency Situations has approved the relaxation of restrictions, and the extension of the state of alert by another 30 days, from December 9th. The decision comes, according to the authorities, following the decrease in the national infection rate below 1.2 per thousand inhabitants, and the further reduction of the number of COVID patients in ICUs. The approved measures include wearing a protective mask outdoors only in crowded areas, such as markets, fairs or bus stops, and indoors. Access to restaurants and shops will be allowed until 10.00 p.m. instead of 9.00 p.m. Sports competitions and cultural activities can unfold until 10.00 p.m.
The level of attendance of up to 30% valid for certain activities has been upped to up to 50%, as in cinemas, theaters and gyms. Nevertheless, access will be allowed only to the vaccinated people, those who have had the disease or who have been tested. Night traffic bans on unvaccinated people will be lifted, and their access to shopping malls will be allowed based on a negative test result. Until now, only those vaccinated or who had the disease had been allowed to enter malls. The new rules also state that accommodation units, which so far could only receive vaccinated people or people who had the disease, will be allowed to also receive people presenting a negative test result.
As for the Christmas and New Years Eve parties, restaurants will be able to stay open, according to Secretary of State with the Interior Ministry, Raed Arafat: “For the Christmas and New Years Eve nights, there will be no time restrictions for restaurants. Restaurants can stay open all night long, but the occupancy rate will be of only 50% and the people will have to present the required documents.”
At the same time, the New Years Eve outdoor events will not be restricted in terms of the number of participants, but organizers are required to allow access only to those who are vaccinated, had the disease, or have a negative test result.
We remind you that to slow down the spread of the new African variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, the National Committee for Emergency Situations has established new measures for people arriving in Romania during the winter holidays. Those coming from European Union countries will present the green certificate attesting that they were vaccinated, had the disease in the last 180 days or have a negative PCR test result. Those coming from outside the EU, including those who have been vaccinated, must provide a negative PCR test result, and those who were not vaccinated or did not have the disease in the last six months will be quarantined. (LS)
