Coronavirus in Romania: President to decree state of emergency as of Monday. What does this bring?

Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis said he would decree a state of emergency in the country at the beginning of next week to allow the Government to better manage the coronavirus crisis.

“I decided to decree the state of emergency at the beginning of next week. This state of emergency will make it possible to allocate important new resources for crisis management. This way, the Government will have the possibility to allocate more money for the health sector,” said the president on Saturday evening, March 14, as the new Government led by prime minister Ludovic Orban was sworn in.

The state of emergency will also allow the authorities to make acquisitions in a very short time, with simplified procedures, thus making available to the Government all the necessary tools to manage in the most efficient way the crisis generated by the coronavirus.

The president also thanked all the political parties that voted for the new Government. “I appreciate the vote that was given in the Romanian Parliament. A message of unity was sent. I am very pleased to note that most parliamentarians and parties have understood the weight of this moment,” said Iohannis.

“The first priority for the new government is to continue the fight against the coronavirus epidemic, to effectively manage the entire crisis that has arisen. The government that is taking over his mandate now is the government that has worked so far with the engine running, has worked well to manage this crisis. Now, with all our strength, we will continue this struggle. The new government and I will devote all our energies one hundred percent to effectively manage this crisis and, obviously, after this crisis is over to govern very well for Romanians and for Romania,” the president added.

While the Government has done its job so far, president Iohannis also urged the citizens to do their part in fighting this crisis.

“The authorities are doing their job, the Government has done its job and so far very well - but alone we will only be able to do some of the work to be done. We need you, dear Romanias! We need you to follow the guidelines, the directions of the authorities. We need you to comply with the hygiene rules that are transmitted on public channels. We need you to avoid contacts that are not absolutely necessary. I know this is a little harder. And, yes, we need you to inform yourselves correctly from public sources, directly from the authorities,” the president said.

“To support parents who have school-age children, I have promulgated today the law that allows parents, under special conditions, when school is suspended, to stay at home and take care of their children,” he added.