Romania: Authorities to impose 30-day nightly curfew from November 9 /update 17

Event

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has announced that the country will enter into a 30-day modified lockdown and nightly curfew from Monday, November 9 amid a recent surge in cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). From Monday, a nationwide nightly curfew between the hours of 23:00 and 05:00 (local time) will be in force. Furthermore, all stores will be required to close by 21:00 and all indoor farm produce markets will be closed until the end of the lockdown.

The government previously extended the country's state of alert until November 15. Under the measure, the wearing of face masks remains mandatory on public transport and in enclosed public spaces, such as stores. Restrictions on public gatherings also remain in place, although certain cultural and sporting events are permitted with appropriate social distancing measures. More stringent restrictions may also be implemented by local authorities in some areas.

As of Friday, November 6, health authorities have confirmed 276,802 COVID-19 cases and 7540 associated deaths in Romania. Further spread of the virus is expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.