Interior Minister Marcel Vela has said that the establishment of the state of emergency will allow the authorities to take the most appropriate measures for the management and prevention of the infection with the novel coronavirus.

"Starting last evening, a team of representatives of all ministries has been working round the clock to send today to the prime minister for approval, according to the law, the substantiation report that will be presented to the president for issuing the decree. (...) The state of emergency will allow us to take the most appropriate measures for the management and prevention of the infection with the novel coronavirus. It is a measure coming to the aid of the authorities to be able to act to the citizens' benefit," Marcel Vela said at the Interior Ministry (MAI) headquarters on Sunday.

The Minister pointed out that new measures were approved in the meeting on Saturday of the National Committee for Special Emergency Situations.

"The decision is posted on the website, but I will quote a few things approved in the National Committee for Special Emergency Situations that clarify some aspects regarding the questions asked by several citizens. We have made recommendations for the members of the intervention teams who go to the persons who are isolated or self-isolated at home, so they are protected the moment they intervene upon the call of these persons to fix the utilities, telephone, electricity or gas supply networks," Vela showed.

At the same time, he said, clarifications were brought to the meaning of close contact of a COVID-19 confirmed case.

"Therefore, the close contact is defined as: the person living in the same household as a COVID-19 patient. Two - the person who had direct physical contact with a citizen with COVID-19 infection, for instance a handshake not followed by hand hygiene. Three - the person who had unprotected direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case, for instance, while coughing or touching some handkerchiefs without gloves. Four - the person who had face to face contact with a COVID-19 case at a distance under 2 metres for over 15 minutes. Five - the person who was in the same room, for instance classroom, meeting room, hospital waiting room, with a COVID-19 case for at least 15 minutes and at a distance under 2 metres. Six - the person from among the medical-sanitary staff or another person granting direct care to a COVID-19 patient or a person from among the laboratory staff who handles samples from a COVID-19 infected patient without the correct wear of the protection equipment," Vela explained.

Another measure taken in Saturday's meeting is aimed at "establishing home isolation at the location indicated at the entrance to the country for a 14-day period for all asymptomatic persons arriving to Romania from the countries where there are at least 500 COVID-19 infection cases confirmed, starting today [Sunday] at 21,00hrs, the hour of the entrance to Romania, by air or road means."

"The quarantine measure will be extended for all those coming to the country from the quarantined areas, updated by the National Committee for Special Emergency Situations, at the proposal of the technical-scientific support group on the management of highly contagious diseases on Romania's territory and published on the website of the National Public Health Institute," Vela pointed out.

The Minister mentioned that another measure is aimed at the territorial labour inspectorates.

"The second measure (...) regards the obligation of the territorial labour inspectorates to check the implementing manner of the measures provided in Decision no 7/11.03.2020 of the National Committee for Special Emergency Situations on shifting the work schedule, aimed at reducing the contagion risk while going to and from work. I will quote another extremely important article from this decision; the organisation and conduct of vehicle fairs is suspended until 31 March 2020," Vela also said. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - editor: Adina Panaitescu)