Romanian government modifies support programme for Ukrainian refugees
The Romanian government has decided to modify the programme through which the Romanian state financially supports refugees from Ukraine. According to the draft, the money for accommodation will go directly to the refugees and not to the hosts in Romania, as is currently the case. Thus, the new draft establishes the granting of an amount of 2,000 lei (406 euro) per month for a single period of up to four consecutive months to cover accommodation expenses on Romanian territory for families and single persons who have taken refuge due to the armed conflict in Ukraine. After the four months, these persons have access to the unemployment insurance system and to measures to stimulate employment, after registering with Romanian employment agencies. At present, individuals hosting refugees from Ukraine can discount 20 lei for food expenses per day per person hosted and 50 lei per day per person for accommodation.
Romania’s new education laws criticised by the opposition
The new education laws are part of a much-needed reform that has only been talked about in recent years, Romanian Education Minister Ligia Deca said on Wednesday. She said she had taken into account the comments received, including the most controversial one, the organisation of a high school entrance exam after the national assessment, in the proposals she had initiated. The Union for the Salvation of Romania (USR) party claimed that the minister had given up on raising teachers’ salaries and had caved in to the Romanian tutoring industry. „By moving this salary observation outside the national education law, I don’t understand how we can expect them to still support all the reforms you propose in this law text. It will be impossible. What you have done and are doing is a mockery of teachers,” said USR Senator Ștefan Pălărie. Minister Ligia Deca stressed, however, that the education reform, long awaited by the whole society, can be achieved through the new laws adopted by the government. „The laws we are going to debate are not only good but also extremely necessary. For me, the key to controlling the success of the proposed reforms is the ability of all of us to support them in the long term to see their real effects,” said Ligia Deca. Senators from the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) party also criticised the new education laws, saying the documents do not ensure a real reform of the education system. The new education laws, adopted last week by the government, are currently in debate on the Chamber of Deputies.
The number of patients with COVID, flu and other respiratory infections has increased in Romania
Doctors in Romania have seen an increase in the number of patients with COVID, flu and other respiratory infections. Given that the flu season has not yet ended, it was expected that the presence of several viruses would overlap – said Adrian Marinescu, medical director of the „Matei Balș” Institute in Bucharest. He noted that the situation is more complicated, but not serious, and reminded of protective measures. „We still have a flu season that is not over, we have this mini-wave that is not from now, it’s a few weeks ago, SARS-CoV 2 infection. It’s true that the forms are mostly mild. Probably in the next couple of weeks things will be pretty much the same. But I think that after this interval there will be a downward trend. We don’t need exactly the same measures that we had in those fearful waves in the pandemic, but if I have symptoms, regardless of age, I shouldn’t go to a community because there is a risk of transmission. It’s the hygiene rules we keep talking about. As for the mask for example, I think it is useful for vulnerable people when they are in closed, unventilated spaces where they are at risk of getting infected through contact with people nearby”, said Adrian Marinescu. For their part, family doctors and paediatricians warned that they face a large number of children with scarlet fever, an infection caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, which is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications if not treated properly./mbaciu
Magda Baciu – RADOR
