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According to a bill adopted on Tuesday by the Lower House Health and Family Committee, certain categories of people are to receive a free set of 30 protective masks per month. The scope of the bill is the purchase of coronavirus masks for the population by the Health Ministry and their distribution.
An amendment adopted by the expert lawmakers stipulates that a set of 30 protective masks is offered every month, free of charge, to: persons whose families collect social aid granted under Law No. 416/2001 on the guaranteed minimum income; persons from families who receive family support allowance under Law No. 277/2010 on family support allowance; public pension system retirees who collect a pension of up to 1,000 lei inclusive, representing the social benefit for pensioners provided for by the Government's Emergency Ordinance No. 6/2009 on the establishment of the guaranteed minimum social pension, approved by Law No. 196/2009; persons with a certain disability who earn income exclusively from the social benefits provided for by Art. 42 and 58 of Law No. 448/2006 on the protection and promotion of the rights of people with disabilities.
In order to ensure the protection of the citizens on the territory of Romania in the current epidemiological context determined by the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Health Ministry purchases through the National Corporation Unifarm SA protective masks compliant with the European standards in force, mainly from domestic producers. The funds necessary for the purchase and distribution of protective masks to the population are provided from the state budget, through the budget of the Health Ministry, provides another amendment adopted by the Committee.
According to another amendment, the local public authorities are required to draw up nominal lists of beneficiaries and send them to the county and Bucharest public health directorates within 3 days from the law's coming into force, so that the amount to be distributed is established. The Health Ministry shall see to the distribution of the protective masks, through the county and Bucharest public health directorates, to the local public authorities, which in their turn shall pass them on to each beneficiary.
"The provisions of this law shall apply until the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, officially declared by the World Health Organization," states the report of the Chamber of Deputies' Health Committee.
The bill was adopted by the Senate in May and is on the June 10 agenda of the Chamber of Deputies' plenary - as decision-making body.
