THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Record numbers of COVID infections since the start of the pandemic

Romanian hospitals have a harder and harder time comping with the number of COVID 19 infections. The fourth wave of the pandemic started over a month ago, but in the last two week, the number of daily reported cases rose alarmingly, beating every record. According to physicians, emergency wards are swamped. Hospitals are reorganizing in order to face the crowding, putting newly admitted patients in wards that usually deal with other conditions. In Bucharest, several hospitals have sent home or to other units patients that are not a pandemic emergency. Hundreds of cities and towns have gone over 3 per thousand cases, counted every 14 days, among them Bucharest and its satellites, with over 6 per thousand. In view of the alarming rise in cases, Romania also started giving out booster shots, the third dose of the vaccine. Vaccinated people who have gone at least six months since their second dose can now get the third. In a first stage, the priority are people over 65, people suffering from chronic ailments, medical personnel, social workers, and other vulnerable categories listed in the national vaccination strategy. Romania is now on the red list of countries with high epidemic risk. In Bucharest on Thursday, the National Emergency Situation Center has updated the list. Also on the red list are now the Republic of Moldova, Bulgaria, Armenia, Belarus, and Greenland. People who have taken the vaccine may still enter the country if incoming from red or yellow list countries. The Center decided to exempt from quarantine drivers of commercial vehicles and regular travelers based on proof of an RT-PCR test. The new list comes into effect on October 3.

Two new censure motions against the government led by Liberal chairman Citu

PM Florin Citu, newly minted chairman of the National Liberal Party, at the head of the ruling coalition in Bucharest, grabbed this position as Romania is once again faced with a grave shortage of ICU beds for COVID patients, and rising energy prices. In addition, the government led by him is facing two censure motions at the same time. One was introduced in Parliament on Thursday by the leading opposition party, the Social Democratic Party. Voting on the initiative will be held on Tuesday. According to that document, the only solution for the political, economic, and social crisis facing the country is for the Citu government to resign. The Social Democrats claim that Romania is a failure in terms of attracting European funding, as well as in terms of investment and the funding of local communities. 234 votes are needed in Parliament to dismiss the government. So far, the USR-PLUS coalition, until recently partner with the Liberals in governing, as well as the AUR, opposition ultra-nationalists, said they both would vote to dismiss. The second censure motion, filed by the above mentioned two formations, accuse the Citu cabinet of being incapable of leading a governing coalition, and of being bent of sacrificing the general good and that well-being of citizens. The executive challenged the motions in the Constitutional Court, which on Tuesday affirmed a legal conflict between the executive and the legislative branches, but decided to allow the vote to go through. The motion has been read out in plenary session of Parliament, but has yet to be debated and voted on, pending arguments from the supreme court.

Romania's National Plan for Recovery and Resilience passes muster with the EC

Romania's National Plan for Recovery and Resilience passed muster with the EC, as part of a larger European mechanism meant for the economic and social recovery of EU states as per the pandemic. The money allocated to Romania, 29.2 billion Euro, are meant in almost equal parts for grants and loans to various areas, with the projects benefiting from the financing having to be finalized by 2026. The announcement on the approval was made on Monday in Bucharest by EC president Ursula von der Leyen. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said that this plan is a very significant symbolic moment for Romania, and is the result of intense dialog and hard work. He also warned, however, that a timely implementation of reforms is essential, and called on responsible parties to make it a priority. The money allocated as part of the plan is aimed at investments, as well as at financing the pension, education, and healthcare systems, as well as green energy and digitization. In addition, Romania also needs a judicial reform. Other areas would by the public finance and transportation systems. For instance, modernizing railways was earmarked 4 billion Euros, with 2.7 billion going to making public and private buildings energy efficient, and 2 billion going to modernizing hospitals.

New rules for UK entry for non-EU citizens, including Romania

People who are not EU residents, but including Romanian citizens, may enter the UK starting on October 1 only with a valid passport, with a labor or study visa, or proof of being tourists. Identity cards are no longer accepted as valid travel documents, as a result of Brexit. According to press releases from London, European citizens who are not UK residents who don't meet the requirements are barred from entering. Romanians who fall under the incidence of the EU citizen registration program and holding residency may travel to the UK using a valid national ID card up until December 31, 2025, on condition it is registered as a travel document with the UK visa and immigration service, created in order to request residence. Over 850,000 Romanians have obtained residency in the UK, according to the Home Office.