People entering Romania will have to complete a passenger locator form from December 20, head of the Emergency Management Department (DSU) Raed Arafat said on Sunday.

The remarks were made at a news briefing at the Government House after a meeting convened by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, attended by the ministers of health, home affairs, and defence, and the director of the National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases.

"The passenger locator form (PLF) is already implemented in many countries, especially at the entrance to airports where travellers must fill it in before travelling, carry it with them and produce at the border or on arrival at the border so that the holder may be located if there is a contact problem, be immediately located and contacted. According to the today's talks, completing the form will be implemented from December 20, and a communication strategy will be developed for the use of all information vectors to prepare people for the use of the form," said Arafat.

According to him, such a form has already been implemented by other European countries.

"Those who are now travelling to other European countries already know that this form exists and have to be filled in before travelling or on arrival in a country, so Romania will introduce this type of form starting December 20," the DSU offcial said.

According to a press release of the Romanian government, the use of the passenger locator form was considered because a large number of Romanians are expected to return to the country for the winter holidays, and to protect the public and facilitate free movement amidst the emergence of the Omicron COVID strain. AGERPRES (RO - author: Irinela Visan, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)