March 10, 2020

Romania has 17 COVID-19 cases, closes down schools until March 22

Newsroom, 10.03.2020, 13:55

COVID-19 In Romania there are 52 people in quarantine facilities, to be tested for the COVID-19, the Strategic Communication Group has announced today. 11,235 other people are under home monitoring. So far 17 cases of infection have been reported nation-wide. Five of them have recovered and have been discharged. All the patients are in a good medical state, while the elderly and people with chronic conditions are closely monitored. On Monday, the National Committee for Emergencies decided to suspend classes in under-graduate schools between March 11 and 22, and the period may be extended in order to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. The authorities also approved the suspension of road passenger transport to and from Italy. The measure will be in force until March 31. Between March 12 and 31, railway transport to and from Italy is also suspended. Under a previous order all flights to and from Italy had been grounded until March 23. Airlines have to inform the citizens boarding direct flights from Italy, China, Iran or South Korea to Romania that they will be quarantined once they reach Romania. Those who enter the country through border checkpoints, coming from the aforesaid 4 countries, are quarantined either in the border county or will stay under home monitoring.

EPIDEMIC The entire population of Italy, nearly 60 million people, were put under lockdown because of the COVID-19 epidemic, after the government decided to extend the restrictions introduced in northern Italy across the country. According to the Radio Romania correspondent, the order signed last night by PM Conte urges companies to allow employees to take annual leaves, so as to reduce travelling even for professional purposes. The decision comes after the number of coronavirus cases in Italy has reached over 9,000, with over 460 deaths. The new action plan, dubbed by PM Conte “Im staying home, takes effect today and will stay in force until April 3. Travelling across the Peninsula is restricted, except for emergencies, healthcare or business purposes. All schools and universities will be closed until April 3, public gatherings are forbidden, the football championship is suspended, and bars and restaurants will only be open until 6PM.

CONSULTATIONS The acting PM Ludovic Orban is having consultations today with the parliamentary parties and groups, with respect to the roadmap for early elections. The vote could be held in June, but coronavirus concerns have prompted proposals to postpone it to this autumn, when parliamentary elections are also due. The only party that announced it would not take part in the talks is the Social Democratic Party, which claimed the political agenda of the National Liberal Party is completely at odds with the current priorities of the Romanian citizens. Meanwhile, on Thursday Parliament will hold the investiture vote for the Cabinet headed by the PM designate Florin Citu.

ECONOMY The Gross Domestic Product went up 0.1% in the Euro zone and 0.2% in the EU in the 4th quarter of 2019 compared to the previous quarter, according to data released on Tuesday by Eurostat, AFP reports. Among Member States, the strongest growth was reported in Ireland (1.8%), Malta (1.7%) and Romania (1.5%). In year-on-year terms, in Q4 2019 compared to the corresponding period of 2018, the GDP rose by 1% in the euro zone and 1.2% in the EU. The member countries with the highest growth rates were Ireland (6.3%), Hungary (4.6%), Malta (4.3%) and Romania (4.2%). For Romania, figures made public previously by the National Statistics Institute indicate that in 2019 the GDP rose by 4.1% since 2018.

MEETING The interim foreign minister, Bogdan Aurescu, is taking part today and tomorrow in Vilnius in a meeting of the foreign ministers of B9 countries. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, attending the event are also NATO officials and US State Department representatives. The meeting focuses on the implementation of the decisions made at the London summit in December 2019, with an emphasis on the reflection process on the consolidation of NATOs political dimension, on a fair distribution of responsibilities and on the Allied approach to security risks in the region. Recent developments related to NATOs role in fighting terrorism and to the management of new challenges, such as cybercrime or energy security, will also be discussed. The B9 Format is an initiative launched by Romania and Poland, with Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia also taking part.