June 24, 2020 UPDATE
An update of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 24.06.2020, 19:56
COVID-19 RO — Another 321 new cases of infection have been reported in Romania, which brings the total number of contaminations to 24,826, the Strategic Communication Group has announced. Most of the new infections have been reported in the capital Bucharest and in the northeastern county of Suceava. Of the people having tested positive for COVID-19, 17,391 have recovered and 186 people are in intensive care. 16 new deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 1,555. In Romania, people infected with the new coronavirus with little or no symptoms at all will be hospitalized and then discharged after a minimum of 10 days since hospitalization if they do not have a fever and symptoms have subsided for at least 72 hours. 3,606 Romanian citizens from abroad have been confirmed with COVID-19 infection, mostly in Italy, Germany and Spain, with 115 of them having died.
MOTION – The Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday passed the simple motion initiated by the opposition Social Democratic Party against the Liberal health minister Nelu Tataru. The Social Democrats accuse him of having failed to properly manage the health crisis, thus placing Romania on top position in a classification of countries from the region rated according to the number of COVID-19 deaths reported in one million inhabitants. The motion signatories also claim that the health ministry is preventing people with chronic diseases from getting specialized treatment. In reply, minister Tataru deplored what he considers the politicization of the health crisis and said that the opposition should have got involved in solving the situation in a constructive manner. Previously, Parliament, which is dominated by leftist parties, had adopted simple motions against other Liberal ministers.
Weather — 3 people have died in Romania in the recent floods. Also substantial material damage has been reported and weather forecasts are not optimistic at all. Hydrologists maintain the red code alert for flooding for Prut River in northern Romania. President Klaus Iohannis said Wednesday that he intended to take action so that the projects funded with European money, meant to prevent climate change, should be implemented in Romania, also with a view to fighting extreme weather phenomena such as the recent floods. He underlined that building dams is not enough, the solutions being reforestation and the conservation of forests.
Washington – The US Senate and House of Representatives have marked 140 years of diplomatic relations between the US and Romania, through two bipartisan resolutions. The Senate’s resolution mentions the long term partnership between the two states based on their common commitment to the same values and interests for stability and democratic progress. The resolution says that the United States supports Romania’s significant contribution to NATO’s collective defense, including its decision to host the Aegis Ashore missile defense site in Deveselu. The document also underlines Romania’s important role in ensuring the security of the Black Sea region. The House of Representatives resolution appreciates the medical and expert support and advisory mission to the State of Alabama to assist with local COVID-19 efforts. Through this resolution the US House of Representatives supports the continued strengthening of the relationship between the US and Romania and the further pursuit of transatlantic unity and solidarity, shows a communiqué of the US Embassy in Bucharest quoted by Agerpres.
Baccalaureate — In Romania, high school graduates on Wednesday took the compulsory school-profile exam included in the Baccalaureate examination. The last written exam of this session — which is optional according to the school profile and specialization — is scheduled for Thursday. The first results will be made public on June 30th and the final ones on July 5th.
UNIFARM– The director general of Unifarm, the Romanian state-owned company managing the purchase of sanitary materials for hospitals, Adrian Ionel, has been subjected to legal restrictions pending trial by the anti-corruption prosecutors. He is accused of having asked for bribe in exchange for granting a contract for the purchase of face masks and hazmat suits. The anti-corruption prosecutors have also discovered that he has illegally been holding the position of director general since 2016. Adrian Ionel claims he is innocent.
Maintenance works – The short wave transmitters in Galbeni, eastern Romania, beaming Radio Romania International’s broadcasts will be closed for maintenance works on Thursday, June 25th, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Romania’s time (06.00 — 14.00 GMT). Therefore, the English-language broadcasts targeting the English-speaking Africa, the French broadcasts for Western Europe, the Arabic broadcasts for Mashrek and the Romanian language broadcast for Western Europe will be disturbed. During the above mentioned interval, you can listen to our broadcasts beamed by the short wave transmitters in Tiganesti, and also on the Internet, on our website www.rri.ro, on the mobile applications available on Google Play and App Store, via satellite Eutelsat 16A and on the fixed and mobile phone, only for the English and Romanian language broadcasts. (translation and update by Lacramioara Simion)
