PM Orban: Number of COVID-19 cases increased after CCR decision, overlapped with relaxation measures

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said in Parliament on Wednesday that the highest number of COVID infections in Romania was recorded in the period when the government did not have legislation on quarantine and isolation, following a Constitutional Court decision, which also overlapped with the gradual introduction of the relaxation measures.

"After the decision of the Constitutional Court [on quarantine and isolation - editor's note] (...), we had about 5,000 people who were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus and we had no possibility to take any measures to prevent them for further communicating the virus (...) More than that, we couldn't take any such quarantine and isolation measures in the case of all persons who were established by the epidemiological investigations as these persons' contacts. This also overlapped with the relaxation measures that were gradually taken on the basis of the epidemiological risk assessment, which led to a significant increase in the number of cases (...) We had, let's say, 500 cases per day, and we had more than 1,000 cases per day after the CCR decision and the relaxation measures overlapping with it," said Ludovic Orban.

The Prime Minister added that with the adoption of the new Law on Quarantine and Isolation, Law 136/2020, the Government once again had at its disposal instruments that benefit all European countries.

"Think that in such a short period of time from the adoption of the law until today we have reached the situation of having over 10,000 people isolated institutionally. (...) Quarantine has also been ordered, and here I mean to people who have been in contact with infected people, as shown by the epidemiological investigations, and there were almost 40,000 Romanians who have been in contact with infected people. Also, isolation at home, treatment at home or in a space declared by the person infected for almost 15,000 Romanians. You realize, you can quantify, what would have happened if this law had not been adopted. Again, we would not have had any possibility to intervene," he said.

According to him, based on the new provisions, the Government has taken extremely vigorous measures to increase the number of beds in intensive care units.

"We have had difficulties in opening new intensive care units. However, we have increased the number of beds in intensive care units by almost 130 and this process of continuous growth," Orban said.

The head of the Executive also referred to the Government's objective of increasing testing capacity.

"From 400-500 tests in the first phase of the epidemic, there are days when we can do 25,000 tests, and our goal is to further increase the testing capacity on Real Time PCR devices, testing done in spaces that ensure biosecurity and with personnel that have the necessary training to be able to make correct diagnoses," Orban showed.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban presented in Parliament the report on the measures taken and envisaged by the Government to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, the organization of local elections and the opening of schools.