The Ministry of Health (MS) and the Public Health Institute (INSP) will reconsider whether to mandate all persons arriving in Romania from December 5, 2021 to produce a negative RT-PCR test to enter the country.

"Regarding the information coming 'from sources' regarding the 'dissensions' that would have taken place during today's government meeting, we want to specify that they are far from being true and following the presentation of the initial proposal endorsed by the specialists, previously detailed at the government level after ensuing talks, it was agreed that the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Institute will reconsider that aspect," according to the Emergency Management Department (DSU).

DSU says that, on December 2, given the uncertainties surrounding the spread of the new Omicron variant worldwide, as well as the possibility of the recovered or fully vaccinated people getting infected, INSP sent to DSU and MS a recommendation that entry into Romania should be made only by producing a negative result of a test performed 48 hours in advance, at the longest, regardless of the area of epidemiological risk from which travelers arrive.

"Given this recommendation from INSP, DSU sought as a matter of priority to discuss this issue at today's meeting of CNSU [National Emergency Management Committee], also coming up with a draft decision drawn up on the recommendations approved by both the Ministry of Health and INSP specialists," DSU shows.

DSU says that by virtue of its institutional powers, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has developed guidelines for action, based on recommendations coming from public health specialists, which were then discussed and implemented or discarded by CNSU. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Alexandru Florea, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)