President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday, after a meeting with government officials on managing the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, that vaccination is the only solution to halting the pandemic, insisting on the need for restrictions.

"We talked about vaccination, schools and restrictions. I want to be very clear from the get go: if we want the pandemic to stop, vaccination is the only solution. Vaccination stops the pandemic," Iohannis said on Wednesday at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

He pointed out to the state of vaccination in other countries.

"I know there are many who tell you that this is not the case. Let's see what happens in the world: in Western Europe, where the world has been vaccinated en masse, 70-80% of people have got vaccinated, there is relaxation, the pandemic virtually has no impact. In our part of Europe, where the world is reluctant for various reasons, reluctant to get vaccinated, we are in full swing of a pandemic wave, and in Romania there has been a real catastrophe with hundreds upon hundreds of deaths every day, with tens of thousands of people getting infected every day. So, dear Romanians, if you want to end this pandemic, get vaccinated, if you don't want to end up in hospital or intensive care, get vaccinated," Iohannis said.

The President told the Romanians not to believe those who lie to them that the vaccine would be dangerous.

"The only thing that happens if you get vaccinated is that you get rid of the disease and you get rid of serious forms of the disease, and we, as a society, get rid of this pandemic once and for all. We need restrictions by which we can take care of the most vulnerable," Iohannis said. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea, Eusebi Manolache, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)