HealthMin Tataru says locking down Bucharest City not considered yet

Health Minister Nelu Tataru told a news conference in Iasi on Sunday that for the time being locking down Bucharest City is not being considered.

"As you know, the freedom of decision according to certain values lies with the county committees [on emergency management] or the Bucharest Committee for coordinating the intervention. There is adherence strictly to those local measures, and also those restrictive measures in order to decrease the number of new cases by decreasing spread. Given that there will be heightened free spread with an exponential increase in the number of new cases, other decisions will be taken. For the time being, we are not considering locking down Bucharest," said Tataru.

He believes that the restrictions imposed since the beginning of this pandemic should be followed.

"Should we close for a month? There are specialists who say we should close for two months. From my point of view, we should follow some restrictions that we have imposed since the beginning of this pandemic and think about those around us who are no longer with us because of this pandemic, (...) let us think of a medical body that at this moment, with faith in their souls, have been on duty since the beginning of this pandemic. Allow me to continue to thank them. We are in it together, we are there and I hope that those who provide us with these cases who do not believe in these cases before they get to the hospital will reconsider both their attitude and their rhetoric," the minister said.