June 6, 2020 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 06.06.2020, 19:23

S&P Standard
and Poor’s has maintained Romania’s rating in the category recommended for
investment. However its outlook remains negative with risks over the budget
balance in the following 18 months in the absence of a political intervention
for fiscal consolidation. One of the issues would be the pension rise in
September the Finance Ministry in Bucharest has announced in a communique
hailing the agency’s decision. According to pundits, keeping the rating at BBB-
means the Romanian economy is not facing a severe crisis and for Finance
Minister Florin Citu, the agency’s decision confirms the fact that the
government measures aimed at curbing the pandemic effects and ensure
sustainable public finances have been correct. International experts believe
the economy will shrink by 5.5% this year. Romania has benefited from an
investment-friendly rating from S&P’s since 2014.

COVID-19 A possible second wave of the Covid
pandemic will not have the same intensity as the first, Romania’s Health
Minister, Nelu Tataru says. He underlined that preparation measures must be
taken, including the anti-flu vaccination of the vulnerable categories as well
as the proper supplies of medicine and equipment. The minister believes that if
people comply with the prevention measures, the situation is going to normalize
in this country in late July or early August. Authorities in Romania have so
far reported over 20,200 Covid infections, while more than 14,400 patients have
been cured and released from hospitals. The new coronavirus has killed 1318
people in Romania as well as 114 out of the 31 hundred Romanian nationals
reported infected abroad.

POLICE Romania’s Interior Ministry has increased the number of police
troops deployed during the Pentecost mini-holiday in this country. So roughly
21 thousand police, gendarme and firefighters have been deployed around the
country to ensure law and order during the holidays. Romania’s motorways will
be monitored by 17 hundred road police with over 300 radar guns backed by
helicopters from the General Aviation Inspectorate. Close to 52 hundred
gendarme troops have been deployed in the regions with a potential higher number
of visitors such as tourist resorts. More than 180 gendarmes from the mountain
corps are expected to be present on various mountain routes.

HOLIDAY Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers from all
over the world, including from Romania will be celebrating Pentecost on Sunday,
marking the day when the Holy Spirit came down upon the 12 apostles enabling
them to convey God’s message in foreign languages they had never spoken before.
On the same day, upon Apostle Peter’s speech, almost 3,000 people embraced
Christianity, making up the first Christian community in Jerusalem, the nucleus
of the future Christian Church. Thousands of Romanians have taken to various resorts
on the Prahova Valley, the Danube Delta and the Black Sea coast for this
holiday.

(translated by bill)