President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday extended by one month a state of emergency put in place to help authorities contain the spread of the coronavirus. He said the measure was necessary to prevent more infections from a virus that shows no signs of slowing down.
“Firm and timely action saves lives,” the president said in a statement, underscoring the risks of relaxing restrictions early.
“Without these isolation measures, we would have been confronted with an explosion in the number of cases, impossible for our healthcare system to cope with,” he said, alluding to Romania’s patchy healthcare service.
Cases of COVID-19 climbed to near 7,000 on Tuesday, while 346 people have died of the disease. Authorities expect a peak in the next two weeks.
“The danger hasn’t passed and relaxing the restrictions, that some politicians are irresponsibly asking for, would lead to a rapid increase in the number of cases, overpopulated hospitals and immense pressure on the healthcare system,” he added.
Restrictions of people’s movements remain in place for the next month, he said. Everyday life has been disrupted with public gatherings banned,schools closed, flights cancelled, shops shuts and church services and sports’ events suspended.
“We all want to regain the life we had before the outbreak of this pandemic, but how fast this happens depends only on compliance with these restrictions. There are measures that temporarily affect some of our rights and freedoms, but they save lives,” Iohannis said.
Appealing to rule-breakers, he said: “You don’t trick the state institutions, you trick yourself! You deceive your loved-ones, your children, parents, and grandparents that you put at risk because you don’t take measures to protect your life and your fellow citizens. „
He said that “any step beyond the lines … of regulations can mean illness of you and your loved ones. Don’t expose yourself and don’t expose those around you!”
