Seeking to reassure Romanians about an impending state of emergency, a government official on Sunday said food would not be rationed, the country’s borders would remain open and fundamental rights would not be affected.
Interior ministry official Traian Berbeceanu said the state of emergency due to be enforced on Monday “is designed to help the population and protect their health and save lives.”
Romania has 123 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus. Nobody has died from the disease in Romania.
The announcement by President Klaus Iohannis on Saturday evening upped the tension in a week where cases have soared.
Romania has not declared a state of emergency in recent times, and the law that refers to measures that can be taken in the situation, was passed in 1999 when Romania was a fledgling democracy and just beginning to implement civic rights.
Amid the jitters, Romanians have stripped bare some supermarket shelves, stocking up on basics such as bottled water, toilet paper, flour and oil. People have stayed away from malls, cinemas and public parks, concerned about the risk of contagion.
In a reference to panic-inducing reports from some media outlets, Berbeceanu said: ”Fake news and dishonest interpretations make the situation harder and take us away from our natural objective of limiting the spread of the novel coronavirus.”
“It’s not true that food will be rationed; it’s not true that the country will be locked down; and it’s especially not true that the state of emergency could lead to abuse from authorities,” he said, calling on the media to be “objective, calm and realistic.”
Interior Minister Marcel Vela later appealed for “calm and solidarity” and asked Romanians to “avoid trips which aren’t absolutely necessary, get your information from official sources, and don’t spread false messages which can affect economic or other interests.”
“The situation is under control because we’ve taken measures in good time,” he said.
Romania like other countries in central and eastern Europe has had fewer confirmed cases of the new virus than in western neighbors, but regional governments have taken swift action to contain the spread, including suspending flights, closing schools and banning mass gatherings.
