Raed Arafat: Activities involving more than 1,000 people - banned

Authorities banned as of Sunday, in the context of preventing the spread of coronavirus in Romania, the public activities involving more than 1,000 people, either indoors or outdoors, public or private ones, announced the head of the Department of Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat.

If fewer than 1,000 people participate, the decision to ban such activity will be taken locally.

The measure is valid until March 31 and may be extended.

Asked if the football matches will be held without spectators, Arafat replied: "Yes. (...) We consider that at this moment there are measures that are necessary for the prevention. (...) If there is a meeting that exceeds 1,000 people it means it does not happen."

Also, the internships of the students in hospitals and the visits of the relatives in the medical units will be suspended.

Raed Arafat emphasized that quarantined Romanians in other countries will no longer be in isolation if they come home, if they have a medical certificate that they are not infected.

He pointed out that medical certificates are not issued for those without coronavirus.

At the same time, those who are quarantined and who want to go abroad cannot leave home, he added.

"As regards the persons in isolation at home for which the 14-day period has not ended and who wish to go abroad, they will be banned to go out of isolation and to move abroad. (...) If you went into isolation 14 days, you remained in isolation for 14 days," said the doctor.

According to him, the Ministry of Health will take measures to broaden the basis for coronavirus testing.

Regarding the settlement of the quarantine expenses, Arafat specified that there is a draft government decision that will be issued at the proposal of the Ministry of Health, so that the persons in isolation will also be included, if they cannot support themselves and the costs for them can be settled.

The schools where at least one coronavirus case will be detected will be closed, according to a procedure adopted by the authorities, Arafat said.

"The procedure and criteria for suspending school courses in educational establishments were approved in the context of confirming one or more cases of coronavirus infection. This procedure was drafted by the Institute of Public Health and does not take into account only medical aspects," explained Raed Arafat.

The Secretary of State in the Ministry of Health Horatiu Moldovan has shown that, regarding the assemblies comprising fewer than 1,000 people, the density of the crowd, the nature of the event and the contacts will be considered, if the participants are registered beforehand or not, the duration and how the participants get to this event.