Morning headlines – January 15th 2021

Coronavirus and vaccines

• Romania starts today the second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination for the vulnerable people and employees in key fields. President Klaus Iohannis will be publicly vaccinated.
• In the category of people who are vulnerable are included those with ages above 65 years and people who have chronic diseases, regardless of age, depending on the vaccine’s indications: diabetes, obesity, other metabolic diseases, including congenital ones, cardiovascular problems, renal problems, oncologic, pulmonary neurologic problems, including the Down syndrome, severe and moderate hepatic diseases, autoimmune problems, severe immune-depression etc.
• The key employees’ category includes people working in the Presidential Administration, the Parliament, the Government, ministers and their institutions, including personnel from the defence, public order, national security and justice personnel.
• The personnel from the key economic field is composed of those working in the processing, distribution and commercialization of basic food, water manufactures, transport and water distribution, power plants, production energy and gases distribution and liquid and solid fuels, state TV and radios, education, courier services and religious cults.
• France extends the circulation restrictions between 6pm and 6am and wants to test one million students and minors with ages above 6 years, but also teachers, per month to detect the infections among minors, given that the new British strain is quickly spreading, says AFP.
• Austria is planning on asking for a negative test for hotel reservations, says AP.

Global political and military events

• US. Joe Biden will present, on Thursday night, an emergency recovery plan worth of 1,9 trillion dollars, to get the US out of the most serious crisis since the 1930’s, followed by an investments plan for economic recovery, says AFP.
• US. An investigation was initiated Thursday about Pentagon’s efforts to fight extremisms among US forces, given that the military and veterans are being accused of participating to the riots from the Capitol Hill, on January 6^th, said AFP.
• North Korea. The North Korean army has presented, on Friday, in a military parade that marked the end of the Workers’ Party Congress, a ballistic missile which can be launched from a submarine, says AFP.
• Indonesia. At least three people died and many buildings were damaged after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that hit the Indonesian island Sulawesi, says the national catastrophes management agency, says AFP.
• UN. 2020, one of the warmest years ever recorded, said the World Meteorological Organization, on Thursday, says Agerpress. The average temperatures recorded last year are similar to those recorded in 2019, the year to have the highest temperatures in the history of meteorological measurements.
• Censorship. Many European leaders have criticized the social networks for suspending president Donald Trump’s account, says Mediafax. The former minister of Communications, Alexandru Petrescu, says there is a regulation tendency of big social media platforms and due to the undetermined suspension there is an idea of abuse.
• Denmark. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline’s works are resumed starting today, in the Danish territorial waters, says Tass.

Romania’s defence and security

• Code yellow for snowfall and blizzard, available in the mountain area in ten counties from Transilvania and Muntenia, in the mountain areas from Gorj, Valcea, Alba, Brasov, Sibiu, Arges, Prahova, Dambovita, Caras Severin and Hunedoara, says National Meteorological Agency.
• The National Culture Day – January 15^th marks the celebration of 171 years since one of Romania’s greatest poets, Mihai Eminescu, was born.