May 11, 2020
A roundup of local and international news
Newsroom, 11.05.2020, 13:55
PARLIAMENT The Chamber of Deputies is discussing today a simple motion tabled by the Social Democrats in opposition, who demand the resignation of the finance minister, Florin Cîţu. They argue that in 6 months of governing and during a state of emergency, no measure has been taken to avoid an economic disaster, and the finance minister was unable to come up with efficient measures to support the business environment. The vote on the motion is due on Wednesday. In todays Q&A session at the Chamber of Deputies, the healthcare minister Nelu Tataru is invited to present the measures taken in the fight to curb the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, the Labour Minister Violeta Alexandru and the foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu are being heard today in the Senates special committees, in respect of the measures to protect the Romanian workers who left the country to work abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 The Government is to pass a bill in todays meeting concerning measures to prevent and contain the COVID-19 epidemic as of May 15, when the state of emergency is to be replaced by a state of alert. According to the latest official data, the total number of cases in Romania is over 15,500, with 972 deaths. More than 7,200 patients have recovered. Among the Romanians living abroad, over 2,750 have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, mostly in Italy and Spain, and 100 of them have died since the start of the pandemic.
DEFICIT Romania reports a trade deficit of 4.46 billion euros for the first quarter of the year, 732.4 million euro more than in the corresponding period of 2019, the National Statistics Institute announced today. According to the institution, in the first 3 months of 2020 exports amounted to 17.07 billion euro, down 2.6%, and imports to 21.526 billion euros, accounting for a 1.3% increase since Q1, 2019. In March 2020 Romanias exports dropped by nearly 700 million euro, to 5.4 billion euro, compared to March 2019. Total trade within the EU in January-March this year reached 12.34 billion euro in exports and 15.83 billion euro in imports.
REPATRIATION 85 Romanian nationals living in Saudi Arabia returned to the country last night, thanks to the combined efforts of the Foreign Ministry, Transport Ministry and Interior Ministry. The Romanian authorities also helped in the repatriation of 3 Serb citizens and 4 Hungarian nationals. The Foreign Ministry firmly reiterates its previous recommendation to avoid all non-essential travel abroad, which may entail major risks, jeopardising citizens safety and their return to Romania. The Foreign Ministry also urges all Romanian citizens living abroad to strictly comply with the rules in their host countries, and says trips to Romania must be avoided during this period. Such trips are increasingly affected by the restrictions introduced by relevant transit countries, which may hinder the Romanian authorities assistance efforts. International travel may also contribute to the spreading of the disease, jeopardising the safety of travellers and of their families at home.
PANDEMIC Its been 2 months today since the World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The total number of cases worldwide so far is over 4.1 million, with the death toll standing at more than 283,000, while 1.5 million people recovered from the disease. The USA, the worst hit country in the world, announced 776 deaths in coronavirus patients in 24 hours, the smallest number since March, which takes the death toll to nearly 80,000. In Europe, the country with the largest number of deaths (32,000) is the UK, which announced an extension of restrictions to June 1. In Italy, the second worst hit country in Europe, with over 30,000 deaths, PM Giuseppe Conte is having an online meeting with regional authorities to take a decision regarding the further lifting of restrictions as of May 18, apart from the current ones that include the opening of shops, churches and museums. The measure may differ from one region to another, depending on the number of cases and future developments.
FRAUD The Interpol secretary general Jurgen Stock has warned against a drastic increase in illegal sales of fake medical products linked to COVID-19. In an interview for the German agency DPA, Stock says uncertified personal protection equipment, including substandard protective masks and counterfeited hand sanitiser, is already being promoted. Global crime has quickly adapted to the pandemic, in the sense that criminals take advantage of peoples new fears and concerns, the Interpol chief emphasised. He warned that cyber-crime will grow alongside the number of people working from home. Overall, this pandemic may give a long-term impetus to crime, as people having lost their means of subsistence may resort to breaking the law, Stock predicts.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)
