November 15, 2020 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 15.11.2020, 19:20
FIRE. Joint teams of the Directorate of Public Health and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations will begin checks on Monday in all intensive care units in Romania to verify the use of medical equipment. The decision was made in the aftermath of the tragedy that occurred, on Saturday evening, at the Piatra Neamţ County Emergency Hospital (east). Ten patients suffering from Covid-19 died in the fire that broke out in the intensive care unit, and seven other people, including the doctor on duty, were seriously injured. The six patients were relocated to another hospital in the area and the doctor was transferred to a hospital in Brussels. Prosecutors with the General Prosecutor’s Office, police and fire experts have started an investigation into the cause of the tragedy. President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and the leader of the opposition, the Social Democrat Marcel Ciolacu have all stated they are shocked and saddened by the tragic event and have once again complained about the precarious state of the Romanian healthcare system. The Health Minister Nelu Tataru has stated that the blame for the tragedy is a collective one. The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Daniel, has prayed for the victims. Messages of condolence have come from abroad as well, including from the US President Donald Trump, through the US Ambassador to Bucharest, the Hungarian President Janos Ader and the president of Israel, Reuven Ivlin. Also, at the Vatican, the Pope prayed and expressed his compassion. The embassies of France and Russia in Bucharest have also sent messages of condolence and the mayor of Chisinau laid a wreath at the Romanian Embassy in Moldova.
COVID-19 RO. Since the beginning of the pandemic, over 360 thousand cases of infection and 8,926 deaths have been recorded in Romania. 7,096 new cases of infection and 113 deaths associated with COVID 19 were reported in the past 24 hours. 1169 patients are in intensive care. Romania no longer has a green zone in terms of coronavirus infections, after, on Saturday, the threshold of 1.5 cases of COVID-19 per thousand inhabitants against the last 14 days was exceeded in Vrancea county (east), the only place where the number of cases was lower. Against the background of the epidemiological situation, the state of alert was extended until mid-December.
PANDEMIC. The restrictions imposed recently by the governments of many countries are starting to show the first results, but the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is a big burden for the healthcare systems. The greatest pressure is on the intensive care units. On the European continent, Germany, Austria and Portugal have announced new daily records. In Italy, as of Sunday, two more regions joined the so-called red list, and another nine became orange. It is forbidden for citizens to travel outside their place of residence, restaurants and shops are closed, except for food stores and pharmacies, and sports activities are suspended, including those held in outdoor sports centers. It is allowed to walk near the house, observing the distance of at least one meter from any other person and with the obligation to wear a protective mask. Nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools remain open. Austria will enter a new quarantine period from Tuesday 17 November until 6 December. The government will close schools, shops and services and impose new traffic bans. Globally, more than 54 million cases of Covid 19 have been reported since the virus first appeared in China almost a year ago, and the death toll has exceeded 1.3 million.
NIGHT OF MUSEUMS. In Romania, this years edition of the Night of Museums took place on Saturday, in conditions adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and most of the events organized on the internet. More than 60 museums and cultural operators from all over Romania registered to celebrate this European event, usually organized in May. In 2020, however, because of the pandemic, it was moved to mid-November, and museums and cultural spaces organized interactive activities on social media and on their own websites. The offline projects were adapted to the new government measures on public safety. The Night of Museums was initiated 16 years ago by the French Ministry of Culture, sponsored by the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the International Council of Museums.
FOOTBALL. The match between the Romanian national football team and the Norwegian national team, scheduled tonight in Bucharest, part of the League of Nations, was cancelled by UEFA. The decision was made as the guest team could not travel due to a coronavirus case, reads the official website of the Romanian Football Federation. The consequences will be established by the Disciplinary Committee of the European forum. The last match of the Romanian national team in this competition will be played on November 18, in Belfast, against the national team of Northern Ireland. These matches count for the FIFA ranking, which will determine the ballot boxes for the draw of the preliminary groups for the 2022 World Championship. (M. Ignatescu)
