Romania could reinstate state of emergency at 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in 3-4 days, health minister says

There is no need to reintroduce the state of emergency after only two days with more than 500 new cases of coronavirus infection. Still, Romania could consider this measure if the number of new cases reaches 10,000 in 3-4 days, at national level, health minister Nelu Tataru said in an interview with Agerpres.

"We don't declare a state of emergency only because we had two days with a high number of cases, of over 500. We introduce that state of emergency, which is the prerogative of the president, when we have a period with accentuated transmission at a certain moment, an exponential increase of the number of cases, perhaps when the number is doubling from one day to the next," Tataru said.

"It's one thing to have ten thousand cases in a week and a half, two weeks, and there's another thing to have ten thousand cases in four or five days. That's when reinstating the state of emergency becomes necessary. When we have these ten thousand cases in three or four days throughout the country, a state of emergency is required; when we have these ten thousand cases in three different cities, then we quarantine those cities," he added.

He also said that non-compliance with the physical distancing rules leads to an increased community transmission of COVID-19.

Romanian officials announced on Thursday, July 9, 614 new cases of coronavirus infection in 24 hours. This was the highest number of daily cases reported in Romania since the start of the pandemic. The country also reported more than 500 new cases on July 8.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)