Tougher sanctions for violating restrictions

The first suspended prison sentence has been given in Romania for thwarting the fight against diseases.

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Leyla Cheamil, 02.10.2020, 14:00

The number of people infected with the new coronavirus is growing daily in Romania. Health Minister Nelu Tătaru says this growth was not caused by the beginning of school on September 14 or the local elections held on September 27, as strict rules were observed on the voting day and are being observed when children are at school. The problems emerge, in his opinion, when children are away from school, in the means of transport or in their free time.

Over the past week, almost 270 children up to the age of 9 and around 500 children aged 10 to 19 have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the health minister said. The big number of COVID-19 cases reported in the past days prompted the PM Ludovic Orban to ask for daily checks on the observance of health protection measures by the line authorities. According to the PM, in the context of resuming almost all activities in normal conditions, social interaction has intensified, and people no longer observe rules strictly, which risks taking the number of contaminations to sky-high levels.

The PM has asked the interior, transport, labor and healthcare ministers to prepare a plan with clear-cut actions aimed at implementing the heath protection rules. Ludovic Orban reminded that the government’s objective is to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases and this can only be done through daily checks.

PM Orban has called on the county committees for emergency situations to get more involved in implementing the legal measures adopted by the authorities in the context of the new coronavirus pandemic. He had added that reintroducing some restrictions or imposing quarantine measures have to be dealt with depending on the situation at local level and not at county level.

Ludovic Orban has also underlined that in those places where the infection rate goes beyond 1.5 cases per one thousand inhabitants in the past 14 days, activity in restaurants, bars and other enclosed spaces will be suspended until the situation improves. Those who violate restrictions will receive tougher punishments. A court in Buzau (southeast) decided to convict a man, allegedly contaminated with COVID-19, who fled from hospital in April. This is the first such case in Romania. The man left the hospital without the consent of the medical staff, although he showed symptoms specific to the disease. He was tried for thwarting the fight against diseases and received a 6-month suspended prison sentence in September. (tr. L. Simion)