President Iohannis says declaring again emergency state last resort

President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday about declaring again a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 epidemic is a last resort.

"The decision to declare again the state of emergency can be taken only insofar as the specialists tell me that there is no other solution and I want to believe that there is another solution. I want to believe that Romanians do not want this disease; I want to believe that Romanians, together with the authorities, together with me, will follow the rules, so that we do not end up in a situation where we can no longer control the spread of this disease. I am confident that together we will be able to control this epidemic reasonably, reasonably meaning not to have a significant increase in the number of infected people moving forward. Let me consider declaring again a state of emergency, which would affect freedoms and civil rights, which would again inhibit economic life, a last resort, when we have no other possibility to re-enter a pandemic control area," Iohannis told a news conference at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

He said the government had done its job to manage the pandemic.

"Everyone needs to follow these rules, but let's not confuse the general action with the action to the point of people who didn't understand anything. The government as a whole has done its job, is doing its job managing public affairs," said Iohannis.

He also spoke about the acquisitions during this period. "During the state of emergency there was a special procurement procedure and I pointed out then and now that no matter what procedures there are, the law must be observed and people must be respected. (...) Who did not observe the law or who fraudulently tried to get rich out of people's troubles will pay off and I am convinced that those who made a mistake will be found and held accountable," the president said.