31 May, 2020

Last Sunday in May marks the Day of Romanians Abroad./ Coronavirus restrictions to be further eased on 1st June in Romania.

Newsroom, 31.05.2020, 14:00

Celebration.
The Day of Romanians Abroad is celebrated today. President Klaus Iohannis said
in a special message that building together the prosperous and safe Romania we
want needs all Romanians, both those who live in Romania and abroad. Every
Romanian is an ambassador, in the country where he and she lives, of our
traditions, culture and customs and the creativity of the Romanian spirit, the president
also said. He emphasised the important role played by the Romanians who
returned from abroad in the development of their country. The National Opera in
Bucharest in partnership with the president’s office and the Department for
Romanians Abroad today celebrates the Romanians living abroad through a special
event: the online broadcast of the ballet performance The Swan Lake. The
celebration is also marked in Italy, which is home to the largest Romanian
community abroad. The last Sunday in May was declared the Day of Romanians
Abroad in 2005.

Relaxation. The restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19
are further eased as of 1st June in Romania. People will now be able
to travel out of town without signing a declaration in advance stating the
purpose and destination of their trip. Outdoor cafes and beeches will reopen
provided physical distancing conditions are met. Outdoor performances with a
maximum of 500 spectators will also be allowed, as well as some outdoor sports
competitions without a public. International rail and road travel will resume.
Shopping centres, schools, nursery schools and playground areas remain closed.
Flights to and from certain EU and non-EU countries are still suspended. Wearing
a face mask is still obligatory in enclosed spaces, in shops, on public
transport and at work. People coming from abroad are still ordered to
quarantine or isolate at their home together with their families or the persons
they live with.

Toll Romania. Romania has had more than 19,250 confirmed coronavirus
cases since the first infection was reported three months ago. More than 13,250
people have recovered and 1,262 have died. The largest number of infections was
reported in Suceava county, in the north-east, and in the capital Bucharest.
More than 3,000 coronavirus infections were reported among the Romanians living
abroad, mostly in Italy, Germany and Spain, including 106 deaths.

Toll world. At least 366,000 people have died from Covid-19 globally
since it was first reported in China last December, and some 6 million have
been infected, according to a toll published by the France Presse news agency
based on official data. The virus was reported officially in 196 countries and
territories and over 2.4 million people are believed to have recovered. The
number of confirmed cases does not, however, reflect the real scale of
infections. Some countries are only testing severe cases, others use the tests
mainly for tracing, and many poorer countries have limited testing capacity.
The United States, which saw its first coronavirus death at the beginning of
February, is the most affected country in the world, with over 103,000 deaths
and 1.7 million infections. US president Donald Trump has announced severing
ties with the World Health Organisation, which it accuses of being controlled
by China. The US administration has said repeatedly that Beijing initially hid
the gravity of the coronavirus outbreak, which is why Washington was unable to
take the necessary measures to contain its impact on the US. The president of
the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the EU foreign policy chief
Josep Borrell urged Washington to reconsider its decision. In Europe, the worst
hit countries are the UK, with 38,000 deaths, Italy, with 33,000 deaths, and
France, with 28,000 deaths. Some 177,000 people had died in Europe by Saturday,
110,000 in the US and Canada, 49,000 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 15,000 in Asia, 9,000 in the Middle East, 4,000 in
Africa and 132 in Oceania.

US protests. A curfew was imposed in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and
Atlanta so as to prevent more of the violent protests that erupted across the
United States, the France Pressed reports. Similar restrictions were imposed in
Kentucky, especially in Louisville. Violent protests and riots were reported in
the US after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died in
police custody in Minneapolis and which has become a symbol of police brutality
against the black community. Protests have been held in dozens of American cities. In Chicago,
protesters threw stones at the police forces, who responded with tear gas.
Police cars were set on fire in a number of cities, including New York and
Miami. (CM)