All restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 will no longer apply, the Romanian government has announced.
According to a press release issued by the Romanian Interior Ministry, the requirement to present COVID-19 related documents, restrictions, and prohibitions such as the closed border crossing points, obligation to wear protective masks, organizing rallies, concerts, sports events, and working from home in a bid to protect the public health, will no longer apply in Romanian territory, SchengenVisaInfo reports.
More specifically, the Romanian-Hungarian border, including Carei, Satu, and Mare, and the Romanian-Bulgarian border, Lipnita, Dobromoit, Constanta, have opened for all travellers, including Americans, as of March 9.
“I thank the Romanians for the responsibility they showed because they understood to respect the rules of health protection and chose to get vaccinated, thus limiting the spread of the Covid pandemic – 19. Together we managed to overcome difficult moments, and this attempt will give us the strength to overcome all the challenges that the future holds for us,” the Minister of Internal Affairs, Nicolae Lucian Bode, said.
In other words, as of March 9, travellers reaching Romania are exempted from providing a pre-departure test, on-arrival or post-arrival test, proof of vaccination, quarantine requirement, or categorization of travellers based on their home country epidemiological situation.
However, the requirement to present the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) to Romanian authorities remains effective, and non-compliance can be fined up to €608.
After Bulgaria, Romania is the second-least vaccinated county in the EU, with 41.8 per cent of the population being fully vaccinated against the virus, accounting for only eight million inhabitants.
The country that counts nearly 20 million inhabitants recorded 2,781,086 positive cases with COVID-19 since the pandemic started. As data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals, the country has registered about 32,309 positive cases in the last seven days. Moreover, since March 2020, 64,094 people have died due to COVID-19 implications, with 488 of those being reported in the last week.
The number of COVID-19 infections in Romania stood at 5,461 on Tuesday, relatively lower than 40,018 cases recorded at the start of February.
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Except for Romania, other EU countries like Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Ireland, and Hungary have lifted all of their COVID-19 restrictions, including the requirement to present a vaccination, recovery, or test certificate upon entry.
This decision is expected to boost the tourism sector, which has been highly affected by the pandemic, as billions in losses were recorded.
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