Romania’s economy minister Virgil Popescu is infected with COVID-19. He made the announcement himself on Facebook, on Monday, November 2.

Popescu is the first member of prime minister Ludovic Orban’s cabinet infected with the new coronavirus. Last week, the economy minister accompanied PM Orban in his official visit to France. After returning from France, Virgil Popescu also participated in several meetings alongside PM Orban and attended a business event on Friday, October 30 (opening photo).

The economy minister wrote on Facebook that he took the COVID-19 test before leaving for Israel, where he was to accompany PM Orban on an official visit this week. The first test came out negative, but on Sunday, the minister started to have flu symptoms, and on Monday he repeated his COVID-19 test, which came out positive.

Popescu said that he has no serious symptoms, and those close to him "are fine". The minister says that he complied with the sanitary protection rules, but that "this virus does not forgive."

In related news, prime minister Ludovic Orban announced on Monday that masks would become mandatory in Romania in all counties where the infection rate is over 1.5 new COVID-19 cases per 1,000 inhabitants (over 14 consecutive days).

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Virgil Popescu's Facebook page)