January 12, 2022 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 12.01.2022, 20:00

COVID-19 Romania reported
8,600 new Covid cases and 44 related deaths on Wednesday. The incidence rate is
on the rise around the country, including the capital Bucharest, where it
passed 3 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, the city now being in the red tier. This
means that restaurants, cinemas, gyms and other venues can open at 30%
capacity. Also, schools where the vaccine uptake among staff is under 60% will
switch to online teaching. The National Public Health Institute confirmed the
sustained community transmission of the Omicron variant, saying almost half of
the cases did not have contact with someone infected. In the meantime,
preparations are being made for opening outpatient Covid evaluation centres
around the country.

CORRUPTION The Interior Ministry’s Anti-Corruption Directorate
Wednesday conducted 25 home searches in the counties of Neamţ and Iaşi (north-east),
as part of investigations concerning forgery and fraud offences involved in the
obtaining of COVID vaccination certificates. Physicians and nurses received
bribes in exchange for fictitious vaccination certificates. Late last year the Anti-Corruption
Directorate announced that since the start of the pandemic 168 criminal cases
were initiated with respect to fictitious vaccination and other offences. According
to the institution, Romania saw the largest-scale frauds in the EU in this
respect, with over 3,000 fake COVID certificates issued at Petea border
checkpoint. Some 1.8 million COVID-19 cases have been reported in Romania
since the start of the pandemic, and around 60,000 COVID patients died. Amid
anti-vaccine feelings fuelled by certain media outlets, politicians and opinion
leaders, Romania has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the EU.

EU FUNDING Over 1.9 billion euros will be transferred to Romanian
government accounts on Thursday, as part of the loans given to Romania under
the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, after the targets for Q4 2021 were
reached, the Ministry for EU Projects and Investments announced. The funds will
add to the 1.85 billion euros in grants paid by the European Commission on
December 2, 2021. Bucharest is to receive over 29 billion euros under the
National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The loans in the programme will be used
for the funding of large-scale projects, including motorways, water supply and
sewage networks, the digitisation of SMEs and reforestation, the Ministry
explained.

GROWTH The
National Institute of Statistics confirmed its 0.4% estimate with regard to the
growth of the Romanian economy in the third quarter of last year compared with
the previous quarter, but changes were made to the share of investments and
consumption in GDP growth. Also, in the third quarter, the net added value saw
important changes in the sectors of information and communications,
constructions, financial mediation and insurances and real estate transactions.

ECONOMY The Romanian economy is expected to grow by 4.3% this year,
as against a 4.5% growth rate forecast in June 2021, reads the World Bank’s report
on Global Economic Prospects, released on Wednesday. For 2023, the World Bank
forecasts a 3.8% GDP growth for Romania, while for last year the institution
estimates the country’s economic growth rate stood at 6.3%. The institution
expects the global economy to grow by 4.1% in 2022 and by 3.2% in 2023.

FOREIGN POLICY
Romania will continue to develop as an active, trusted, involved and
respected member of the EU and NATO. Romania’s approach is focused on
continuity, based on the three essential pillars of its foreign policy:
consolidating the country’s role and influence in the EU and NATO and
developing and deepening the strategic partnership with the US, said
president Klaus Iohannis at his annual meeting with foreign diplomats in
Bucharest. He also said strengthening the US military presence in Romania is a
major goal. Given the recent security challenges, it is obvious that we need
stronger action in terms of defence and deterrence, the Romanian president
added. Iohannis also said Romania is worried about the security situation in
Ukraine and its implications for Euro-Atlantic security and added that Romania
will continue to support the efforts of the Republic of Moldova to join the
European Union. (tr. A.M. Popescu)