COVID-19: Drive-through vaccination centre to open on Romania’s Transalpina road this month

Tourists driving on Romania’s famous high-altitude road Transalpina later this month will also have the opportunity to get a COVID-19 vaccine as a drive-through centre is set to open there on Saturday, July 17.

According to Valcea Prefecture, the centre, set up in the Urdele Pass at 2,145 m - the road’s highest point, will stay open only on July 17, from 10:00 to 18:00.

Tourists can stop at this site to get the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine without a prior appointment. Those who choose the Pfizer vaccine can then go to another vaccination centre in the country (fixed or mobile) to get their second dose.

Sebastian Fârtat, the prefect of Valcea county, said: “It is a special opportunity for hikers and mountain lovers to enjoy the spectacular view that this mountain road, unique in the entire Carpathian Mountains, offers. The centre will be located right at the highest point of the road - Urdele Pass, at an altitude of 2,145 meters. I invite those who have not yet been immunized against COVID-19 and want to visit this area to go on July 17 at the vaccination centre. It will definitely be an unforgettable experience.”

DN67C, also known as Transalpina, is the highest road in Romania. Due to the high altitudes, the road is closed during cold months, but it usually reopens around early July. The other famous high-altitude road in Romania is Transfagarasan.

(Photo source:Adymoab/Dreamstime.com)