Starting Monday, the protective mask becomes mandatory again

RADIO ROMANIA NEWS - Starting on Monday, the protective mask, which covers the nose and mouth, becomes mandatory again in Romania indoors and outdoors.

Night restrictions are set for the unvaccinated, and wedding and christening parties, as well as outdoor shows and concerts, will be banned, the government decided on Friday.

The green certificate will be required for almost any activity, at a restaurant, mall, gym, cinema or theater, or in various institutions. People will enter only with a certificate attesting to vaccination or having had the virus, not with a negative test for COVID-19; food shops and pharmacies are an exception.

Dr. Raed Arafat, head of the Department for Emergency Situations at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, explained why the presence of unvaccinated people, but who have a negative test, is not allowed in such places.

Raed Arafat: "Only people who are vaccinated or who have been sick and have immunity will be accepted, not people who can get infected if they get somewhere. Tested people are vulnerable, if they become infected they can have severe forms of the virus and end up in Intensive Care Units. For them it is not the same case as in vaccinated people or those who have had the virus, which have a stronger immune system.

For access to public institutions, visitors will be asked for a green COVID certificate attesting to vaccination or being cured, however the employer cannot ask for such a certificate from their own employees, Dr. Arafat also explained.

Translated by: Radu Matei