RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Parliament discusses green pass

The draft law that makes the green pass certificate compulsory at work is still being debated by the Chamber of Deputies.

Parliament discusses green pass
Parliament discusses green pass

, 17.11.2021, 14:00

About 7 million Romanians have so far been fully immunised against Covid-19, a rather small figure as compared to the EU average and far from the target of 10 million people vaccinated by September 1. This target had been set by the authorities, who now seem to have forgotten about it. The slow pace of vaccination and the early relaxation of restrictive measures during summer made Romania vulnerable to the fourth wave of the pandemic, with thousand of infections and hundreds of related deaths being reported every day. When the situation risked being out of control, authorities have reintroduced restrictions targeting mostly unvaccinated people.



The fear of getting the virus and being denied access to malls and restaurants in the absence of a green pass, prompted many sceptics to get immunized. This has given a boost to mass vaccination, just like the introduction, in Parliament, of a law regulating the use of the green pass at work, after the model of countries like Italy, France or Greece, which made it compulsory for certain categories of employees or even for all workers in public and private sectors. In Romania, the draft law was rejected by the Senate, and the effects of this decision resulted in a drop in the number of people immunized. Against this background, politicians committed themselves to passing the law in the Chamber of Deputies, as sole decision making body in this case, in a version free of any possible discriminations like the ones invoked by the Social Democratic and ultra-nationalist opposition when they had voted against it in the Senate.



Things seem to be stalling in the Chamber of Deputies as well, with amendments that cover 40 pages having to be discussed. The head of the Health Commission, former Liberal health Minister Nelu Tataru, has admitted that delaying the introduction of the green pass at work has negative effects on the vaccination rate. The Social Democrats propose a two-month window to be granted to workers to get vaccinated and their free testing during this period, while the Liberals are willing to offer only 30 days for that. Also, the Liberals deem unacceptable the proposal of the parliamentary party AUR, regarding the introduction of testing for antibodies, invoking its lack of scientific irrelevance. They also proposed for people who refuse vaccination and get infected to pay for medical services if hospitalised. The Social Democrat Alexandru Rafila, the country s representative with the WHO, said that such measure would only deepen problems related to the late presentation at medical units of the people infected, who must be encourage to do that early, at the first symptoms. In their turn, USR asked for debates to be accelerated and stipulations for MPs and persons in public offices to be extended.



Standing better than Romania is terms of vaccination rate, Austria has imposed quarantine for unvaccinated persons. In spite of being faced with what experts define as the 5th wave of the pandemic, countries like France, the Netherlands and Britain, where the vaccination rate exceeds 80% have a small number of casualties. (EE)


(Photo: pixabay@Engin_Akyurt)
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Romanians’ concerns

Romanians and Austrians are the most satisfied with their lives among the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, but the former are significantly...

Romanians’ concerns
Elections in Moldova (Photo: Radio Chișinău)
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Republic of Moldova, crucial final

On November 3, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have to choose, for the position of head of state, between the pro-European Maia Sandu, the...

Republic of Moldova, crucial final
Foto: Baza 71 Aeriană / MApn
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Drones, a security issue

The Romanian Ministry of National Defense has placed under decisional transparency a bill that improves airspace security measures. The bill, which...

Drones, a security issue
Foto: pixabay.com
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected the referral of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in relation to the so-called...

The Fugitive Law is constitutional
Today in the News Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Challenges of an ageing population

Romanians are getting fewer and older.   The population of Romania in mid-2024 was 21,779,000, down 1% compared to June 1, 2023. According to...

Challenges of an ageing population
Today in the News Monday, 28 October 2024

Romania sees rising public debt levels

Government debt rose in July to over 876 billion lei (that’s around 175 billion euros), from 860 billion lei in the previous month, according to...

Romania sees rising public debt levels
Today in the News Monday, 28 October 2024

Presidential debate in the Republic of Moldova

An unusual electoral debate, in form, but predictable in content, had as protagonists, on Sunday, the two remaining candidates in the presidential...

Presidential debate in the Republic of Moldova
Today in the News Friday, 25 October 2024

The presidential campaign begins

  Romania saw the start of the campaign for the first round of the presidential election on Friday. The campaign ends at 7 am on November 23....

The presidential campaign begins

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company