Bucharest authorities to discuss easing some restrictions as Covid-19 incidence rate drops

Bucharest’s emergency situations committee will meet to discuss the Covid-19 restrictions as the incidence rate in the city fell below 3.5, prefect Alin Stoica told television station Digi24.

On Monday, April 26, the incidence rate stood at 3.46 per 1,000 inhabitants, the Bucharest Public Health Department (DSP) announced.

Under the new scenario, the schedule of the nighttime curfew would change to start at 22:00 instead of 20:00 during the weekend, while stores will have the same opening hours throughout the week, without any changes during the weekend.

Fitness halls can reopen, the prefect explained, but the incidence rate needs to drop below 3 for cinema halls and indoor restaurants to change their schedules.

This past weekend, the city’s emergency situations committee extended the restrictions as the Covid-19 incidence rate remained above 3.5 (3.94).

As previously announced by the Government, some exceptions were already foreseen for the Easter period. Stores will be open until 20:00 on Good Friday, and the nighttime curfew will be lifted on the Orthodox Easter night (May 1 to May 2).

“The restaurants will open inside gradually, after the rate drops below 3. First at 30% of their capacity, and at 50% when the rate is below 1.5,” Alin Stoica, the prefect of Bucharest, explained, quoted by Mediafax.

Outside of the Easter night, a curfew is currently in place in the city between 22:00 and 5:00 from Monday to Thursday, and from 20:00 to 5:00 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Stores can open between 5:00 and 18:00 on Saturday, and Sunday, and between 5:00 and 21:00 from Monday to Thursday, while the incidence rate doesn’t exceed 7.5 per 1,000 inhabitants.

(Photo: Alberto Mihai/ Dreamstime)