New Covid restrictions in place in Romania’s

New restrictions and local lockdowns are imposed in some big cities and neighbouring villages amid high Covid infection rates.

Daniela Budu, 08.03.2021, 14:00

Only one month and a few days after reopening for business indoors,
Bucharest’s restaurants, cafes and bars had to close again Sunday midnight for
the next 14 days, as the capital city saw its coronavirus infection rate hit 3
cases per 1,000 inhabitants in recent days. The spokeswoman for the Bucharest
prefecture Mariana Stancu explains:

This activity is not allowed indoors. It is only allowed outdoors or on
terraces with no more than a roof, a ceiling and one wall, with tables located within
at least 2 metres of each other and with no more than six persons sitting at one
table if they are from different households. Bars, clubs and discos are not
allowed to operate.

Unlike in similar situations in the past, pre-school and primary school children
will continue to attend in-person classes in school, while final-year pupils
will be attending a combination of remote and in-person learning. Cinemas, theatres,
performance and music venues are also closed from Monday, and all outdoor
cultural activities are banned.

The western city of Timişoara, where the infection rate has long since passed
6 cases per 1,000 inhabitants, as well as several villages in Timiş county have
gone into lockdown for the next 14 days. A night-time curfew is in place, with
movement only allowed for justified reasons and for work, with everyone having
to carry a written declaration stating the purpose and destination of travel.
Schools are also closed in these areas, shops have shorter working hours, with
the exception of pharmacies and petrol stations, and church services can only be
held outdoors. In this area, unlike in Bucharest, cafes and restaurants are
also closed for business outdoors.

The Timiş county prefect Nemeth Laszlo says the lockdown was the last
resort, given that Timişoara has been in the red scenario for many weeks:

There are no more beds in intensive care in Timişoara and we’re now
trying to send our Covid patients to other counties or cities. This shows how
serious the situation is right now. Timişoara has the highest infection rate in
the country. We’ve had a surge in cases since mid January and this trend continues.

The mayor of Timişoara Dominic Fritz has warned that not complying with
the measures will affect everyone, by extending the lockdown or causing the
loss of human lives. Unhappy with the new restrictions imposed by the authorities
and a new draft legislation on mandatory vaccination which Parliament is
debating, hundreds of people protested on Sunday in Timişoara and in Bucharest,
while similar smaller scale protests took place in Oradea, in the north-west,
and in Sibiu, in the centre. (CM)