More Covid-19 restrictions will be eased starting June 1, prime minister Florin Cîţu said during a press conference on May 19. The measures would come even if the vaccination target of 5 million people isn’t reached by then, he suggested.

The target is not to reach a certain number but to overcome the pandemic, the PM argued.

“First of all, I know it is possible in Romania. We can reach 5 million [vaccinated people], but this is not the target – reaching a certain number. The target is to overcome the pandemic. And we can only overcome the pandemic through vaccination. We introduced several measures faster due to vaccination; we have seen that vaccination led to a decrease in the positivity or infection rate. I think that Romanians understood the message and will get vaccinated, first of all for their health, for the health of their families, and to have a better life,” Cîţu said.

Asked whether the restrictions would be eased even if the vaccination target isn’t reached, he said “there will be easing on June 1.”

The Government aimed at 5 million people vaccinated by June. By May 19, more than 4 million people received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine: 2,996,487 were fully vaccinated and 1,033,132 received the first dose.

In an effort to step up the vaccination pace, the authorities introduced the option of getting vaccinated without an appointment on the Government-run booking platform, opened drive-through vaccination centers, held weekend vaccination events, dubbed “vaccination marathons,” and involved family medicine doctors in the vaccination campaign.

President Klaus Iohannis announced last week the lifting of several measures starting May 15 and a gradual easing of the restrictions over the summer.

Meanwhile, Valeriu Gheorghiţă, the coordinator of the national vaccination campaign, said 5 million people could be vaccinated with at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by mid-June. 

“Looking at the vaccination pace in the last two weeks, and particularly at the number of people who received the first dose, the forecast shows us it is unlikely to reach 5 million vaccinated people by May 31, but we will definitely reach this target in the first part of June,” Gheorghiţă told television station Digi24.

(Photo: Cateyeperspective/ Dreamstime)

simona@romania-insider.com