Thousands of people protested against the restrictions in Bucharest

Thousands protested on Saturday in the Romanian capital Bucharest against new measures planned by the local authorities in order to stop the sharp increase in coronavirus cases. The AP estimated the participation of 5,000 demonstrators, but the local media reported up to 15,000.
Protesters blocked traffic in the center of the capital, chanting slogans against alleged attempts by the authorities to restrict freedom. At the same time, they likened the demand for covidpas to the introduction of a dictatorship. According to the AP, there were many supporters of far-right groups among the demonstrators.
Among the organizers of the protests was the Nationalist Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR). She, along with other opposition parties, hopes to overthrow the current centrist government by a vote of no confidence in parliament, scheduled for October 5.
Romania is currently experiencing a sharp increase in daily infections. Just a month ago, there were only about 1,000 infected people in this EU Member State, with a population of around 19 million. On Saturday, however, the local authorities reported an increase of 12,590 infected. This is the highest daily increment since the beginning of the pandemic.
Such an increase in those infected is already putting almost unbearable pressure on Romanian hospitals, whose intensive care units are approaching maximum occupancy at national level.
The Romanian authorities have informed that more stringent epidemiological measures will be introduced in each area if the infectivity rate exceeds 6 infected per 1000 population in 14 days. In Bucharest, the figure climbed to 8.2 infections per 1,000 inhabitants on Saturday
Stricter measures to come into force on Sunday include restrictions on access to places such as restaurants, gyms, cinemas and theaters. When they visit, people will have to prove that they have been fully vaccinated or that they have overcome COVID-19, Reuters reports.
In Romania, only a third of the adult population has so far been vaccinated with both doses of the coronavirus vaccine. This country has the second lowest vaccination rate in the EU, with only Bulgaria worse. The poor level of vaccination in Romania is due to disinformation campaigns, as well as the distrust of many citizens in state institutions, Reuters writes.
For the unvaccinated, so-called weekend curfews, with the government planning to introduce vaccination obligations for health professionals. In public spaces in cities where the incidence is higher than 6 infected per 1,000 inhabitants, the wearing of veils is also mandatory.