Morning headlines – January 28th 2021

Coronavirus and vaccines

• The number of COVID-19 infection cases has increased in Romania. The number of new SARS-CoV-2 cases doubled, yesterday, reaching 3.174 cases, but it has increased the number of tests as well. More than 1.000 people are now hospitalized in ICU.
• The Moderna vaccine will be administrated starting with 1^st of February. The administration of the Moderna vaccine, which requires a second vaccine in 28 days from the first one, will be administrated starting with 1^st of February, in the vaccination centers in Romania, says the National Committee of Coordination of the Activities on COVID-19 Vaccination, according to Agerpress.
• Professors’ vaccination, a priority for schools’ opening. UNESCO and UNICEF recommend the vaccination of professors, and the US and many European countries are prioritizing it, says Mediafax. The minister of education, Sorin Cimpeanu, has stated on Wednesday that the personnel from the education system will have a special line for the COVID-19 vaccination.
• The new coronavirus strains make us vulnerable to many overlapped epidemics. Doctor Ocrativan Jurma says that because there are many strains, we are actually dealing with more overlapping epidemics. “These are different strains and technically different epidemics, even if they overlap and clinically produce the same profile”, said Octavian Juma, according to Mediafax.

Global military and political events

• The US is keeping the special envoy for Afghanistan from the Trump administration. Zalmay Khalilzaz, appointed by the former president Donald Trump will keep its position in the new administration as well. The Biden administration expressed its intention on reviewing the deal with the Taliban, signed almost a year ago, says AFP. Zalmay Khalilzad, born in Afghanistan, is a former US ambassador to UN, Iraq and Afghanistan during the George W. Bush administration, says Agerpress.
• The US is reviewing the policy on Middle East. The US has temporarily paused the arms deals, worth of almost 30 billion dollars, like the F-35 aircrafts for the UAE and the bombs sale for Saudi Arabia and has established a road map to cool down the tensions in the relation with Iran, says AP.
• Future demonstrations in the US. The Homeland Security Department is warning on possible demonstrations from people that are unhappy with the result of the presidential elections, says Reuters. The National Guard will keep 7.000 soldiers in Washington, DC.
• Protests in Poland due to the abortion law. Hundreds of protesters have gathered, on Wednesday night, in front of the Constitutional Court from Warsaw, after the authorities announced they are about to implement the abortion law, says Dpa.

Romania’s security and defence

• International conference on the coronavirus and the cyber space. The Institute for Cyber Policies Studies – CyBureau from Israel and the University “Dunarea de Jos” from Galati and the Economic Sciences and Computers College from Poland are organizing, on Thursday and Friday, the international conference on “Coronavirus and the cyber space: a year of changes and challenges”, says Agerpress.
• Code Yellow for storm in Dobrogea, south-east Muntenia and south-east Moldova is extended. The National Meteorology Administration has extended, on Wednesday night, the code yellow warning for bad weather in Dobrogea, south-east Muntenia and south-east Moldova, until Thursday, 10am. We are talking about Galati, Braila, Ialomita, Calarasi, Tulcea and Constanta counties, says Mediafax.
• Big deficit in 2020. The budgetary deficit in 2020 was worth 101, 92 billion RON, around 9,79% from the GDP, says Mediafax, after analyzing the preliminary general budget done at the end of last year.
• Protests in Bucharest. The “Sanitarian Solidarity” Federation is organizing, on Thursday, a protest between 11am and 3pm in front of the Ministries of Health and Labor, in Victoria Square and at the NLP and RSU parties, called the “March against governing ingratitude”.