Crowded weekend in Romania

The authorities say 98% of Romanians observed the law, helping keep the pandemic in check

Corina Cristea, 18.05.2020, 14:00

At the end of
the two-month state of emergency, introduced to deal with the coronavirus
crisis and accompanied by restrictions that had a powerful impact on Romanians’
lifestyle, this weekend our country switched to the state of alert, which also
comes with certain regulations, although less harsh than the previous. People
started to leave their homes the moment the state of emergency was lifted. In
Bucharest, for instance, right after midnight on Friday, the parking lot in
front of the Parliament Palace was full. Reopened on Friday, parks were teeming
with people, although playgrounds and open-air restaurants remained closed.
Some continued to relax even late into the night, without observing the rules.

Social media overflowed with images of young people partying late on Saturday
night in Herastrau Park, in northern Bucharest, ignoring social distancing
regulations. Young people flocked in groups larger than 10, very few of them
actually wearing masks, and some people actually sitting at tables, which
immediately gave rise to suspicions that restaurants might have reopened
illegally. Facebook and Instagram carried images of a concert on one of the
park’s alleys, where a DJ mixed music for hundreds of people who were dancing.
The party was broken off by the authorities, who forced people to go home. The
first day without restrictions also brought about the first protest. Hundreds
of people gathered in front of the Government building, voicing their
disgruntlement with the measures imposed in the last two months, which they
claim go against the Constitution. Some even criticized the World Health
Organization.

Many Romanians even left the city last weekend, signing a written
declaration. Law enforcement authorities only reminded them of the new
regulations under the state of alert. Romania’s western borders were also
overcrowded last weekend. Long waiting lines stretched several kilometers, the
busiest point being Nadlac 1, where transit took as many as 8 hours. People who
were dropped off close to the borders also made up long queues. Many Romanians
chose to return home because they are no longer forced to enter quarantine upon
their return. Also many Romanians are now returning to their workplace in
Western Europe. To ease traffic on the Hungarian border, the authorities have
opened Nadlac 2 border crossing point, which had been reserved to freight
traffic in the last weeks. On Monday the law stipulating the measures,
obligations and bans that come into force during the state of alert took
effect. Fines range from 100 to some 3,000 Euro. People can pay half the amount
within 15 days.

(Translated by V. Palcu)