October 24, 2020 UPDATE

A roundup of local and international news.

Newsroom, 24.10.2020, 20:00

Coronavirus Romania. Coronavirus
Romania. Romania saw almost 4,800 new
coronavirus cases on Saturday. More than 205,000 cases have been confirmed so far, while the death toll passed 6,300. Almost 800 people are in intensive care. Friday saw the
first death of a person for whom no place was found in intensive care. Romania
is one of the 23 EU member states where the evolution of the pandemic causes
concern in the Union, both on account of the daily number of new cases among
the elderly population and the death rate, which is the second highest in
Europe. The health minister Nelu Tătaru says Romania is counting the deaths of
all persons infected with coronavirus, regardless of comorbidity, while some
states are also counting the deaths caused by the virus alone. Prime minister
Ludovic Orban said on Saturday that a night curfew was being considered, given
that more and more localities have surpassed the threshold of 3 cases per 1,000
inhabitants.

Poll. 60% of Romanians are satisfied with the measures taken by EU
institutions to combat the coronavirus pandemic, compared with the European
average of 45%, according to the latest Eurobarometer. 44% of Europeans are
unhappy with the measures taken by the Union to fight the pandemic, but 62% say
they have confidence in the ability of the European institutions to take
correct decisions in the future.

UN. In a statement to mark United Nations Day and the 75th
anniversary of the UN Charter, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu
emphasised the importance of multilateralism and the need for international
cooperation and solidarity, which are constantly reaffirmed through the efforts
to manage the pandemic crisis. The United Nations’ impact is felt in all
corners of the globe, including Romania, said Aurescu. He added that the
commitment to multilateralism is one of the basic pillars of his country’s
foreign policy, alongside EU and NATO membership and its strategic partnership
with the United States. The Emergency Transit Centre for refugees Romania has
been hosting since 2008 in Timişoara, a centre set up through the collaboration
of the Romanian government, the UN High Refugee Agency and the International
Organisation for Migration, demonstrates Romania’s commitment to the
international right of refugees and the principles of solidarity and sharing
responsibilities multilaterally, Aurescu also said in his statement. He also
recalled Romania’s support for the role of the International Court of Justice.

Navy. The Romanian Queen Marie frigate left on Saturday from port of Constanţa
to join the Standing NATO Maritime Group. Between the 27th October
and 7th December, the vessel will be carrying out missions in the
eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea such as surveying maritime traffic and
deterrence of potential threats to NATO’s southern flank. The Romanian frigate
will also be taking part in the Sea Guardian NATO operation and in a
multinational anti-submarine exercise organised by the Turkish naval forces
between the 2nd and the 9th of November. (CM)