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Iohannis: From May 15, wearing protection mask, keeping distance and hand hygiene - mandatory
President Klaus Iohannis stated, on Tuesday, that from May 15, once the state of alert comes into force, the wearing of protection masks in closed spaces becomes mandatory, the maintaining of distance between people and hand hygiene are also mandatory.
"Unfortunately, the COVID-19 epidemic is still among us. It's not the time to relax too much. We are rapidly approaching the number of 1,000 fatalities. We still have hundreds of new cases every day. Still the date of May 15 is approaching when the state of emergency will end and we will enter the state of alert. (...) Firstly, I would mention what becomes mandatory from May 15. They're simple things, but very important. From May 15, wearing a mask when we are in enclosed spaces becomes mandatory, for example when we go to the store or when we go by public transport, on the subway. The mask is mandatory indoors. It's mandatory to maintain a distance. The mandatory distance between persons is 1.5 m (...) Hand hygiene becomes mandatory," said the head of state, in a statement at the Cotroceni Palace.
The affidavit is still necessary when leaving the locality, after the state of emergency concludes, said Klaus Iohannis, adding that metropolitan areas are an exception to this case.
The head of state mentioned that travels outside the locality will still be forbidden, with exceptions to be established by the Committee for Emergency Situations.
Iohannis stated, that, after May 15, when the state of emergency expires, "the obligation to stay home and the obligation to write up an affidavit when we travel inside the locality ceases".
According to him, after May 15, the opening of parks is recommended.
Professional athletes can resume their training after 15 May, when the state of emergency is over, but sports competitions will not start in this first phase of relaxation, president Klaus Iohannis said.
"Professionals can resume their training under special conditions of hygiene, medical checks. But sports competitions in this first stage will not begin. So, I repeat, professional athletes can go back to training camps under very clearly described conditions, but sports competitions will not be resumed now, in the first stage," Iohannis pointed out.
For amateur athletes, added the president, "it is possible to resume activity only where individual sports are played, individual sports including if a sports base is used, but only outdoors".
"So for amateurs it is possible to resume workout only in individual sports and only outdoors. And if a sports base is used, access to the locker room, where they change equipment, is not allowed," Iohannis stressed.
He added that in a first stage, in-person religious services will be allowed after May 15 in the church courtyard or in front of the building.
"A topic that I personally consider very important and I know that many Romanians too consider it to be very important - churches. Religious services with in-person attendance will be resumed under special conditions - specifically in a first stage they may be resumed in the churchyard or in front of the church, that is outdoors. The believers shall wear face masks and keep a distance of one and a half meters. In the second and third stages these requirements will be of course re-discussed, but we consider it important to take a first step and allow again in-person religious services, I repeat this, only in the open air in this stage," the President said in a statement at the Cotroceni Palace where he presented the measures that will be taken after May 15, once the state of alert comes into force.
Iohannis had, on Tuesday, at the Cotroceni presidential Palace, a meeting regarding the measures to manage the COVID-19 epidemic with Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, Internal Affairs Minister Marcel Vela, Health Minister Nelu Tataru, National Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca, Economy, Energy and Business Environment Minister Virgil Popescu, Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu, and head of the Emergency Situations Department, Raed Arafat.
As of this weekend, all parks, public gardens in Bucharest, to be opened
As of this weekend, all parks, public gardens, including the Zoo, as well as the cemeteries in the Capital will be opened, announces Bucharest General Mayor Gabriela Firea.
"As of this weekend, all the parks, public gardens - including the Zoo - and the cemeteries in the Capital will be opened. The Capital City Hall proposed this item on the agenda, which was voted at today's meeting [ed.n. - Tuesday] of the Municipal Committee for special emergency situations. We thank all our colleagues from the prefecture, the district mayors, the police, the gendarmerie, the ambulance and the other decentralized institutions, members of this forum," the mayor wrote on Facebook.
Gabriela Firea asked the citizens to avoid crowded areas, to maintain social distancing, to wash their hands often and to disinfect themselves.