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Coronavirus crisis: classes will be suspended in the pre-university system starting on Wednesday
Romania National Committee for Special Emergency Situations decided on Monday, March 9, to close all the schools in Romania starting Wednesday, March 11, until March 22, amid the growing number of coronavirus cases in the country, prime minister Ludovic Orban announced at the end of the committee's meeting. The measure is preventive and could be prolonged based on the evolution of the coronavirus outbreak, he added.
The measure targets all kindergartens, primary, secondary and high schools in Romania, both public and private, according to education minister Monica Anisie. The Education Ministry is analyzing solutions to hold online classes during the period when the schools are closed.
The health status of 10 persons found as carrying the COVID-19 coronavirus in Romania and admitted at infectious disease hospitals in Bucharest, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca, Constanta and Craiova is good overall, and the elderly patients and those with chronic diseases among them are closely monitored, reports the Strategic Communication Group (GCS).
As of Monday, 17 cases of COVID-19 infections were confirmed in Romania nationwide. Of the 17 citizens who contracted the virus, five were declared cured and discharged.
In Romania, there are 27 persons in institutional quarantine undergoing testing to detect if they have contracted the COVID-19 virus. A further 11,198 people are in isolation at home and are under medical monitoring, with the decrease from the last reporting being due to the exit from isolation of a significant number of people as a result of the 14 days having lapsed.
To date, 1,010 samples have been collected and analysed from persons who arrived in Romania from areas stricken by COVID-19 infection or persons who came into contact with patients confirmed with the virus. Of these, 995 came out negative, meaning that the people from whom the analysed samples were collected are not infected with the novel coronavirus.
"We want to inform you that so far 18 criminal files have been opened for the offence of hindering disease control criminalised under Article 352 (1) of the Criminal Code, in which 26 persons are investigated," according to GCS.
GCS mentions the decisions of the National Committee on Special Emergencies regarding the imposition of traffic restrictions to and from the countries hit by the COVID-19 infection that came into force on Monday at noon and stays on until March 31, with the possibility of further extension.
Acting Interior Minister Marcel Vela announced on Monday the suspension of flights to and from Italy until March 23. According to him, the decision was taken within the National Committee for Special Emergency Situations.
"Is hereby approved the suspension of the flights carried out by the airline operators to Italy and from Italy to Romania for all airports in the country starting from March 9, 2020 at 12:00 (Romania time) until March 23 at 12:00 (Romania time)", Vela told a press conference.
He also stated that the air operators have the obligation to communicate to the Romanian citizens who will embark from Italy, China, Iran, South Korea to Romania, with a stopover, that they will be quarantined on the Romanian territory and will assume this responsibility by completing a declaration on their own responsibility upon boarding the aircraft. Also, the airline operators will not allow the boarding of foreign nationals who come from Italy, China, Iran, South Korea to Romania with a stopover.
As to land border checkpoints, Romanian citizens coming from the four mentioned states will be informed that they are obliged to either be quarantined within the border county or to be isolated at home.
The Interior minister added that the access of foreign nationals coming from Italy, China, Iran, South Korea is also allowed through all border checkpoints, regardless of the means of transport used, but "under the mandatory quarantine measure".
"Freight shipments of at least 3.5 tonnes are exempted from the restrictions imposed on banning access on the territory of Romania. The above provisions, adapted as the case may be, apply also for maritime or river transport," added Marcel Vela.
All the mentioned measures are applied until March 31, with the possibility of extending the period.
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Acting Prime Minister Ludovic Orban participated on Monday in a videoconference with counterparts from Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Austria, Croatia and Israel on the situation around the new coronavirus (COVID-19), informs a press release of the Executive.
According to the source, the prime minister presented the prevention measures taken by the Romanian authorities to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on Romania's territory and the development of the situation nationwide.
"The officials of the states participating in the videoconference discussed about the need to exchange good practices and the best possible coordination among the institutions of the states on whose territory there are cases of people infected with the new virus," the release further informs.
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Around 80 foreign diplomats, under quarantine for several weeks in Pyongyang have received permission to leave North Korea. There are also Romanian diplomats among them, as BBC reported.
The diplomats have left North Korea on board of an Air Koryo plane, which landed in the Russian city of Vladivostok. There were diplomats from Romania, Russia, Germany, France, Switzerland, Poland, Egypt and Mongolia and also their relatives.
North Korean authorities have placed under quarantine hundreds of foreigners in the past months, in an effort to block the spread of the coronavirus.
The UK Ambassador in Pyongyang, Colin Crooks, is among those who decided to stay in North Korea.