June 7, 2020 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 07.06.2020, 20:00

COVID-19 IN
ROMANIA – Over 20.500 COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in Romania, over 14.600
people have officially recovered and the latest death toll has climbed to
1.326. According to the Group for Strategic Communication, some 3.304 Romanians
living abroad have tested positive for the virus and 114 have died. Most of
these cases are reported in Italy, while most deaths were reported in the UK,
over 40, considering the total number of infections in the UK is below 100. In
another move, Health Minister Nelu Tataru said a potential second wave of the
pandemic will be less deadly than the first. It is the Romanian Health
Minister’s belief that life will return to quasi-normal parameters by late July
– early August, should the population continue observing precautionary
regulations.

REPATRIATIONS – The Foreign Ministry says some 365
Romanian citizens have been repatriated from Great Britain, the Netherlands and
Jordan, via three special flights operated by the national passenger airliner
TAROM. Most of them are students, navigation crew, medical staff and people who
couldn’t extend their stay abroad for various reasons. Previously, 346 Romanian
nationals were returned to Romania from France, Italy and Belgium on June 5.
The action was part of a wider series of efforts to repatriate Romanians who
have been affected abroad by COVID-19 measures and flight restrictions.

COVID-19 IN THE
WORLD – Some 7 million people all over the world have been infected with SARS
CoV2 while over 400 thousand people have died to the virus, Reuters reports.
Some 3.5 million people have recovered. Brazil, one of the countries gravely
affected by the virus, decided to eliminate all data regarding the evolution of
COVID-19 in this country from the official website that has been monitoring the
outbreak. President Jair Bolsonaro explained the figures do not reflect
reality. Brazil has the second-largest number of infections, some 667 thousand,
and has reported over 36 thousand deaths.

TAROM – The national
airline company TAROM will reintroduce return flights to London starting
Monday. In a Facebook post, the company writes that only Romanian nationals
will be able to board in flights to Bucharest, while flights headed to London
will receive British citizens only. Also starting Monday travellers arriving in
the UK will undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

TOURISM – Employers in
the hospitality industry are calling on the Government to lift all restrictions
and reopen restaurants and cafes to interior service. In an open letter, employers
say the absence of this measure would make them incur 30% losses, tantamount to
some €6 billion. The second phase of easing lockdown restrictions would boost
partner sector, such as produce providers, soft drinks distributors, meat and
milk processors, bakeries and other types of providers, which together account
for 5% of Romania’s GDP.

REPO LINE – The European Central Bank and
the National Bank of Romania have agreed to set up a new repo line to address
possible euro liquidity needs in the presence of market dysfunctions due to the
COVID-19 shock. Under the new repo line, the National Bank will be able to borrow up to
€4.5 billion from the ECB in exchange for high-quality euro-denominated
collateral.

PENTECOST – Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians around the world, including
Romania, on Sunday celebrated the Pentecost, marking the descent of the Holy
Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus Christ, 50 days after Easter, as well as the
foundation of the early Christian Church. According to the New Testament, the
12 apostles received the Holy Spirit, which allowed them to speak languages
never before spoken. Peter’s sermon led to the baptism of three thousand souls.
Orthodox believers received sanctified walnut leaves, symbolizing the flames of
the Holy Spirit resting on the heads of the Apostles. Thousands of tourists
enjoyed the Pentecost miniholiday in mountain or seacoast resorts or in the
Danube Delta, which according to travel agencies was 80% booked.

(Translated by V.
Palcu)