June 27, 2021 UPDATE
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 27.06.2021, 20:00
CORONAVIRUS — Romania remains in the Covid low-risk “green zone”. 46 new Covid cases from over 17,000 tests were reported on Sunday, as well as 5 new related deaths recorded in the last 24 hours. 522 Covid patients are receiving hospital treatment, including 92 in intensive care. No new cases were reported in the capital Bucharest and another 20 counties in the last 24 hours. According to data released by the National Public Health Institute, 16,990 people have been immunized in the last 24 hours. More than 4.7 million Romanians have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine so far, which accounts for 25% of the countrys eligible population. A further easing of coronavirus restrictions will come into effect from 1st July.
POLL — More than 80% of the participants in an opinion poll conducted by INSCOP said Romanians are regarded as “second-hand” citizens in Europe, while almost 15% disagreed with this idea. Asked which is the reason why Romanians are regarded as such, 70% said it is the improper behavior of some co-nationals who have lived or currently live abroad, while some 28% said the problem is the superior attitude of the citizens of other European states. 56% of respondents said Romania’s EU accession was a positive thing, while 35% said the opposite. Almost 66% said they prefer Romania to be a NATO member to be better defended, while 29% would like the country to be neutral because nobody will attack it. The INSCOP poll was conducted between June 1 and 15 on 1,100 people and has an error margin of almost 3%.
MILITARY – The last 140 Romanian military who took part in NATO missions in Afghanistan returned to the country on Saturday, thus ending a 19-year Romanian Army presence in one of the most difficult conflict zones, said chief of the Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Daniel Popescu. 27 Romanian military lost their life and 227 were injured in attacks in Afghanistan. More than 32 thousand Romanian troops took part in missions in Afghanistan starting 2002.
MIGRANTS — Romanian border policemen with Gîrla Mare sector in Mehedinti county, southern Romania, saved four migrants from drowning. The migrants, from Syria, Turkey and Iraq, aged between 21 and 33, tried to illegally enter Romania from Serbia by crossing the Danube with an inflatable boat.
SPACE AGENCY — The European Space Agency (ESA) received a record number of applications for its recently closed call for new astronauts, with more than 22,000 people applying, almost three times as many applicants as in the previous astronaut recruitment round in 2008. Some 255 applications are from Romania. ESA representatives said in a press briefing that a record number of women had applied – 5,419 compared to 1,287 in 2008. The winners of the astronaut positions will be announced at the end of 2022, after a thorough selection process.
TENNIS – Romania has six players on the womens singles main draw at Wimbledon, which gets under way on Monday: Sorana Cîrstea, Patricia Ţig, Irina Begu, Ana Bogdan, Mihaela Buzărnescu and Monica Niculescu. Monica Niculescu will be up against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka on Monday, Irina Begu will play against Katie Volynets of the US, while Mihaela Buzarnescu will face Venus Williams. World no. 3 Simona Halep and the winner in London two years ago, on Friday pulled out of the tournament with calf injury. (EE)
