May 5, 2020

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 05.05.2020, 13:55

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – Barber
shops, dental clinics and museums across Romania will reopen on May 15, after
being shut down due to the coroanvirus pandemic. People will also be able to
move around the city without a signed declaration. President Klaus Iohannis
yesterday spoke about these measures, saying the state of emergency will be
replaced with a state of alert, which will allow the authorities to keep the
situation in check. Meanwhile the COVID-19 death toll in Romania has reached
827 people, while the number of confirmed cases now stands at 13,800. 5,500
people have recovered. Health Minister Nelu Tataru says the pandemic could
reach its peak at the end of the week. According to the Government’s Group for
Strategic Communication, some 2,400 Romanian nationals living abroad have
tested positive for coronavirus, mostly in Italy. Of them 96 have died to the
virus.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – Italy, the
first country in the world to impose total quarantine for the entire population
due to the coronavirus pandemic, has started easing restrictions. For the
second day in a row, the number of deaths is below 200, while the total number
of confirmed cases stands at some 100,000. As of today, 4.5 million Italians
have returned to work. Until May 17, Italians can move around the city only for
work, health problems, to shop or to visit their relatives, while observing
social distancing measures. The British Government is also expected to announce
a gradual lifting of restrictions this week. According to the BBC, the measures
will include spaced-out working hours for employees, while preserving telework
where possible over the coming weeks, possibly months. In France, the
Government’s plans for a gradual return to normal life starting May 11 have
been met with political criticism. The right-wing Senate has voted against the
Government’s relaxation plan, although the vote is purely consultative, bearing
no effect on the implementation of the strategy already approved last week in the
National Assembly. Over 250,000 people have died worldwide since the beginning
of the outbreak in December last year in China.

MEETING – President Klaus Iohannis is today meeting
with representatives of the business sector to discuss economic recovery
measures. In yesterday’s press conference, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban
presented a series of economic measures, which include subsidizing up to 41.5%
of salaries, representing the income tax and contributions to national schemes.
Over the coming period the Government
will launch a support program for large companies, patterned on the SME Invest assistance
program.

TOURISM – Arrivals and
bookings in accommodation units across Romania have dropped by nearly 70% in
March compared to the same period in 2019, the National Statistics Institute
reports. The average stay for March was 2 days for Romania tourists and 2.1
days for foreign tourists. Additionally, compared to March, 2019, the number of
foreign tourists who entered the country dropped by over 50%, standing at some
410,000 people, while the number of Romanians who left the country stood at 653,000
people, a 56% drop.

GLOBAL RESPONSE – The European
Commission yesterday organized a video-conference aimed at raising funds to
support the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. Commission President Ursula von
der Leyen hailed the exemplary response of the international community. Over
the course of a few hours some 7.4 billion euros were raised. Madonna, the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, in addition to heads of state and government and
international organizations promised to make donations. The European Commission
will donate 1 billion euros, France and Germany also contributing 500 million
euros each. The European Investment Bank promised important funds and a large
plan for investment. China will be donating over 45 million euros, while South
Africa over a billion. The United States did not take part in the Global
Response initiative, given its open conflict with the World Health Organization
and China, who want to develop vaccines of their own. French President Emmanuel
Macron and King Abdullah of Jordan have warned the development of a universal
vaccine against COVID-19 is not a competition, but should involve cooperation.

(Translated by V.
Palcu)