Measures to control the spread of COVID-19 virus strain Omicron and to protect human health
Following the confirmation of the presence of the Omicron strain in Romania, the Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă convened, today, at 11.00, at the Government headquarters, a meeting with the main officials of the pandemic management: the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lucian Bode, the Minister of National Defense, Vasile Dîncu, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, and the director of the National Center for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases, within the National Institute of Public Health, Adriana Pistol.
The first item on the agenda was the condition of Romanian citizens diagnosed with Omicron, who were vaccinated and had a good evolution of their health.
As experts anticipate a possible increase in the incidence in the coming weeks, vaccination of people remains the most effective and important form of protection, especially for those in vulnerable categories.
In this regard, the Government appeals to the local authorities, through the community assistance services, to coordinate with the medical structures in the territory and to re-evaluate the situation of the unvaccinated persons. Priority will be given to people from vulnerable categories, who will benefit from mobile vaccination centers, provided by the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Interior.
It was discussed that, in order to limit the spread of Omicron, Romanians and other EU citizens coming from third countries will present a RT PCR test, obtained no more than 48 hours before the trip. Those who are not vaccinated will be quarantined for ten days.
Those coming from other EU countries will continue to present the green certificate attesting to vaccination, passing through the disease in the last 180 days or the negative result of an RT PCR test, obtained no later than 72 hours before the trip.
People who have not been vaccinated and have not been sick in the last six months, traveling from other EU Member States in the red zone, will be quarantined for ten days. People who have not been vaccinated and have not had the disease in the last six months and who do not have a RT PCR test performed 72 hours before the trip will be quarantined for 14 days.
The list of African states, whose citizens cannot temporarily enter Romania, will be updated. These proposals are to be approved by CNSU Decision.
Given the large number of Romanians expected to return to the country during the winter holidays, to protect the population and facilitate free movement, in the context of the emergence and expansion of the new Omicron strain, the use was analyzed, starting with December 20. Romania has the passenger location form.
At the governmental level, a communication strategy for the use of all information vectors and a new way of connecting the country and the Romanians in the diaspora will be developed in this regard.