Official measures adopted to curb the spread of the coronavirus must be strictly followed, so that some of them can be eased at the right moment, President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday. He pointed out that Romania has not yet reached a point where the restrictive measures could be lessened.
“The number of cases in Romania is still rising, the number of people receiving treatment in emergency units is rising, and even though we all want this crisis to end as soon as possible, I tell you that we are not yet in the phase where we can relax,” the President said.
He stated that the virus is spreading from one person to another, so it is largely up to the people how this situation changes. He also said that if people strictly follow the measures announced by the authorities, then things could go back to normal earlier. Iohannis emphasized that if the safety measures are relaxed too soon, the country might end up “with these measures having to be extended for months, and nobody wants that.”
Iohannis also asked people to spend Easter at home, saying that no matter how hard it is to comply with the restriction measures on Easter, it is very important to follow the orders of the authorities because violations might have very serious consequences for many.
The Romanian healthcare system has had difficulties facing the COVID-19 pandemic (read more here or here), and due to the lack of hospital equipment and the most basic protective gear, a great many medical personnel have become infected with the virus. And now, one healthcare worker died from the virus.
The Romanian Ministry of Health confirmed on Tuesday evening, April 7, that the first death from the coronavirus (COVID-19) was among medical personnel. The victim was a 53-year-old ambulance driver from the Suceava County Ambulance Service (Suceava County has been the most affected by the pandemic). According to the ministry, the man first showed symptoms of a COVID-19 infection on March 24, and his test came back positive on March 30. He was isolated at home, as he refused to be treated in a hospital. He died in his home on April 7.
So far, a total of 699 healthcare workers in Romania have tested positive for COVID-19, the Ministry also announced.
According to the Ministry of Labor, since the introduction of the state of emergency on March 16, a total of 1,013,522 citizens have had their employment suspended.
Of these, 311,445 people work in the processing industry, 194,236 in the car trade and car service, and 119,836 in the catering industry.
In the same time period, 200,927 employment contracts were terminated: 38,481 in the car trade and service industry, 34,510 in the processing industry, and another 26,221 in the construction sector.
Klaus Iohannis announced that the state of emergency has been extended for another month, until May 16. So the Minister of Education, Monica Anisie, said on Tuesday that schools and universities will reopen only after the end of the state of emergency and that the school year in public education and universities will continue in May.
The minister also announced that the National Assessment exams (taken by 8th grade students at the end of the year) and the graduation exams (taken by 12th grade students at the end of high school) might be postponed until July. She added that second semester curriculum will not be included in the test.
The minister stressed that nothing has been carved in stone yet, and the structure of the school year will depend on the spread of the pandemic.
Practice tests for exams will be presented on National TV to help students prepare. The answer keys will also be broadcasted, so students can evaluate their own exams, but the minister suggested that students discuss their answers with teachers as well.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Romania reached 4,761 as of April 8, 2020; 528 people have been declared fully recovered, 215 have died, and 162 patients are being treated in intensive care.
Title image: One healthcare worker died of COVID-19. Photo: Profiimage Media
