DRASTIC MEASURES ADOPTED BY ROMANIAN AUTHORITIES

People's blatant proclivity for downplaying the gravity of critical situations has once again proved to be fatal. The ever-augmenting number of people infected with the novel coronavirus is rising at an alarming rate in European countries such as Italy, Spain or Germany, placing a myriad of healthcare professionals in the predicament of having to work almost incessantly and putting their lives in jeopardy.

However, Romanian authorities have taken early measures in fighting the virus, which sought an alleviation and retardation of the spreading of novel coronavirus. But have they been efficacious?

First preventive measures

Despite the conspicuous flippancy of other European Governments, the Romanian Government did not procrastinate at all when faced with the problem of preventing the novel coronavirus from settling in Romania and started taking drastic measures a week prior to the confirmation of the first infection in the country.

Following the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, the Romanian Government announced that all asymptomatic travelers from the affected areas will go directly to the quarantine or enter 14 days of self-isolation at home immediately upon arrival in Romania.

As further measures, the Head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, announced a ban on all indoor and outdoor activities involving the participation of more than 1000 people, as well as any sports, scientific, religious, cultural or entertainment events with over 100 participants in closed spaces. All Romanian schools were closed for a period of 11 days, with the possibility of extending the measure.

President declares state of emergency

On 16 March, President Klaus Iohannis decreed state of emergency in Romania for a period of 30 days, which lead to schools remaining closed for the entire period.

"We have just ended a working session with Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, and with the Interior, Defence and Health ministers. We agreed that additional measures are needed to limit the spread of the coronavirus infection." the President said after decreeing state of emergency.

Subsequently, further stringent measures have been taken and a night-time curfew that bans people's movements outside the house from 10pm to 6am has been applied. Meetings of more than three people who do not belong to the same household have been prohibited. Restaurants, hotels, cafes, and clubs, as well as borders have been gradually closed.

Latest measures

Two days after the first deaths engendered by the novel coronavirus have been reported in Romania the President announced that, starting 25 March, people are no longer allowed to leave their houses , except for emergencies, in which cases they must carry a filled-in form to attest their motive for leaving the house.

Moreover, the authorities have decided to use the Army to enforce these new restrictions.

Romanians' attitudes

Because the coronavirus pandemic is an enormous crisis that has descended before most people have had time to become acquainted with the possible consequences of such a perilous epidemic, there has been a plethora of gut reactions on display among Romanians. Their initial response to the novel coronavirus reaching Romania was one generally epitomized by compulsive shopping. The rapidity and severity of the virus have triggered extreme versions of people's quotidian moral instincts which ultimately engendered a sharp increase in prices of essential commodities.

Irrespective of the fact that the stringent measures implemented by the authorities have made most people apprehensive of the gravity of the situation, there is still a modicum of people, mostly elders, who seems to be oblivious to the dangers of the rapidly spreading coronavirus.  

However, the authorities have stated with certitude that the extreme measures that are about to be taken are going to compel everyone to follow the new rules.