Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban says the government is considering making face masks compulsory in outdoor crowded public places after the number of coronavirus cases rose to more than 1,000 a day for past six days.
Orban also said he was considering limiting opening hours for outdoor restaurants and clubs in a bid to slow the spread of the highly contagious virus.
Thousands of Romanians have flocked to the Black Sea coast in recent weeks despite the surge in SARS CoV-2 cases.
Most people wear face coverings in indoor public places which has been compulsory from mid-May, but physical distancing measures are often disregarded.
„We have several measures under analysis (and) restricting opening times for outdoor restaurants and clubs, and for social distancing on the beach are among them,” Orban said on Monday.
“It is very difficult to identify whether a group of people is a family or not, so we could enforce the distancing rules for everyone on the beach,” he added.
He said he had discussed the situation with local authorities and emergency officials who were concerned about the virus spreading in outdoor markets and beachfront boardwalks.
“We are also discussing the possibility of imposing masks in such very crowded spaces,”Orban said.
„We are trying to come up with targeted measures that reduce the risk of spreading the virus in high-risk areas,” he mentioned.
The number of new Covid-19 infections was 1,104, the sixth day in a row when cases have exceeded 1,000.
A number of European countries have imposed restrictions on Romanian arrivals, including Greece, Austria, Hungary, Cyprus, the UK, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Some countries require Romanians to produce a negative Covid-19 test upon entry, while other countries, such as Cyprus, have banned Romanian tourists.
