Romania’s health minister outlines COVID-19 safety measures for the local elections

Romania will organize local elections on September 27, and the authorities are preparing a set of instructions to keep both voters and election officials safe in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

There will be special voting booths for people with symptoms of COVID-19, and the voters will have to disinfect their hands when entering and exiting the polling stations, health minister Nelu Tataru said at local news channel Digi24, News.ro reported.

“We’ll have dedicated voting booths for voters showing signs of fever, they will have priority, they will be guided to the dedicated voting booth, which will be disinfected,” the minister said.

The spaces where the voting process will take place will be ventilated once every two hours, “or as many times as necessary,” and disinfectant dispensers will be installed at the polling stations.

“It’s mandatory to use the disinfectant when entering and exiting the polling station,” Tataru said.

There will also be mobile ballot boxes for people who are isolated at home, and the votes from these boxes will be counted separately.

The mandates of the current local elected officials, which were due to expire in June, were extended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The new date set for the local elections is September 27. The election campaign started on August 28, also with special COVID-19 safety rules.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Ilona Andrei)