Romanian PM: Lifting mask requirements, possible after 10 mln people get the vaccine

Wearing a mask could no longer be mandatory once Romania reaches the target of 10 million people vaccinated against COVID-19, but not before, prime minister Florin Citu said.

"We will give up wearing a mask after we get vaccinated. It's a little early to give up the mask on June 1. […] We should think about giving up the mask after reaching that target of 10 million vaccinated citizens. Until then, it doesn't make sense to talk about such a thing," Citu said, according to Economica.net.

He also said that the date of June 1 does not represent the moment when "we are completely back to normal, but it is a first step, an important step" in the fight against the pandemic.

Earlier this month, the prime minister said that Romanians could start to return to normal life from June 1, and a new committee including representatives from several ministries will work on the measures to be applied after this date.

According to the official report, a total of 2.86 million people received the COVID-19 vaccine in Romania by Thursday, April 22: around 1.14 million got the first dose, and 1.71 million received both doses.

Romanian authorities launched the first mobile vaccination centers this week, and the first drive-through vaccination centers are also set to open in the country by the end of April.

Valeriu Gheorghita, the coordinator of the national vaccination campaign, told Digi24 that over 3,000 family doctors have also joined the COVID-19 vaccination program. This represents "about a third" of the total number of family doctors who have a contract with the National Health Insurance House. Initial estimates showed an intention of 50-55% enrollment in the program.

Family doctors will start to vaccinate people on May 4, and they will use, in the first phase, vaccines produced by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

Valeriu Gheoghita also said that people could receive their second dose in a different location to their first dose,