February 23, 2020
Click here for a roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 23.02.2020, 14:13
VIRUS
The Romanian Foreign
Ministry has announced that after new cases of infection with the COVID-19
virus were reported in Italy, where many Romanians work and live, an emergency
cell was set up at the Romanian embassy in the Italian capital, which is
monitoring the situation and keeps in touch with the local authorities. No
cases of infection have been reported among the Romanian community in Italy,
sources with the Romanian Health Ministry have announced adding that Romania
could be more exposed to the new virus on its national territory due to its
citizens traveling between China and Italy. Most of the cases reported in Italy
were in the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto, where over 300 thousand
Romanians also live. We recall that six Romanian nationals from the Diamond
Princess, a cruise liner that was quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama
after cases of infection with the new virus had been reported on board, on
Saturday arrived in Romania. Although tested and found uninfected by a mobile
medical unit before departure, upon their arrival they have been put in
quarantine for 14 days. Two infected Romanians on the same vessel are being
treated in a hospital in Japan and their condition has been reported as good.
Another nine Romanian nationals, crew members, have decided to remain on board.
The Health Ministry in Bucharest has announced that all Romanians coming back
from the two Italian regions will be quarantined for 14 days while border
checkpoints have received more medical personnel.
VOTE
Romania’s Prime Minister designate Ludovic Orban is expected to go to
Parliament on Monday to get an investiture vote for his fresh cabinet. The 16
ministers of the Orban ll cabinet, which has the same structure and formation
as the government sacked through a no-confidence vote, have been interviewed by
the specialised committees of the Legislature in Bucharest. The Liberals’ plan
is to have two governments rejected, which could lead to Parliament dissolution
and early election. According to Orban these could take place over June 15th
and 30th concurrently with the local election. The opposition Social
Democrats have announced their intention not to participate in the investiture
vote. In the absence of a quorum, the investiture voting for the Orban
government could be postponed. Also on Monday, Romania’s Constitutional Court
is going to host debates upon a notification from the presidents of the two
Parliament Chambers who blamed the president for his decision to have
designated the sacked Prime Minister to forge a new government, which in their
opinion is sidestepping the Legislature.
TENNIS The world’s no. 2 tennis player, Simona Halep of Romania, has won
the WTA tournament in Dubai after a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory against Elena
Rybakina of Kazakhstan. Simona also won the aforementioned tournament five
years ago and has so far won 20 tournaments. Romanian tennis player Horia Tecau
and his Dutch partner Jean-Julien Rojer will next week participate in the
doubles contest of the ATP tournament in Dubai. The two will be taking on third-seeded
Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies of Germany who are also the Roland Garros
champions. Tecau and Rojer won two titles in Dubai, in 2017 and 2018 and last
year they made it to the competition’s semifinals.
FAIR The spring edition of Romania’s
Travel Fair held in Bucharest comes to an end today. The event has been attended
by over 300 travel agencies offering holiday packages in Romania and abroad,
including for the upcoming Easter holidays. The top holiday destinations for
the Romanians seem to be Turkey, Greece, Spain, Tunisia and Egypt, but the
participants’ offer also included exotic destinations such as Bali and
Thailand.
(translated by bill)
