Ministerial order to include obligation of new type of reporting of COVID-19 cases

In the next period, several ministerial orders will be issued, including, among others, the "obligation of the new type of reporting" on the situation of cases of infection with the new coronavirus, Prime Minister Orban said on Tuesday, at the end of the video-conference with the representatives of the Public Health Directorates on the management of the health crisis, following the entry into force of the new law on quarantine and isolation - Law 136/2020.

"The order on the operation of diagnostic centers, an order which should include, on the one hand, the obligation of the new type of reporting. It is known that in the law there is an article establishing the change of the reporting system, namely the distinct mention of cases of people who are diagnosed for the first time, who test positive, and the separate presentation of people who are retested, with the diagnosis they have, either positive or negative. (...) Also, a certain prioritisation with regard to testing, in which priority should be given to those who need testing, for whom testing is required, based on the evaluation protocol. Only after that, should be tested, for example, people who want to travel for other purposes, tourist purposes and who need a result. There should also be a clear distinction between those who need testing, as they have symptoms, they fit within the testing protocol and those who request testing for other reasons," Orban said.

He said another ministerial order would be aimed at conducting epidemiological investigations.

"I decided together with Minister Tataru that an order will be issued that will establish very clearly the procedures from the moment a person tests positive, how the epidemiological investigation is ordered, which is the deadline for conducting the epidemiological investigation, most likely 24 hours, the measures that are to be decided regarding the people who came in contact with the person who was diagnosed as being infected with coronavirus," Orban explained.

The prime minister also said that the talks at the Ministry of Health also focused on "details to improve communication between the Public Health Directorates and the hospitals, the diagnostic centers".