May 4 (SeeNews) - Romania will replace the current state of emergency imposed over the coronavirus crisis by a state of alert on May 15, when it will also allow some businesses to reopen, president Klaus Iohannis said on Monday.
"Starting May 15, in order to keep the epidemic under control, we will enter a so-called state of alert. So, the state of emergency will be replaced by a state of alert," Klaus Iohannis said during a news conference broadcast by local TV station Digi 24.
Authorities will allow the reopening of beauty salons, dental care units and museums staring mid-May, Iohannis said, adding that a more extensive list of businesses which will reopen will be available soon.
People will be allowed to leave town only for work, for seeing a doctor or for individual physical and recreational activities, the president added.
On April 22, Iohannis announced that the authorities will start to relax the restrictions enforced in order to contain the spread of the new coronavirus disease as of May 15.
People will be obliged to wear masks in closed public spaces and while travelling with public transport. Individual freedom of movement will be restored after mid-May, but large public gatherings will remain banned, the president said at the time.
Confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Romania reached 13,512 on Monday, up 349 in a single day, the local authorities said.
A total of 803 people have died from the disease and 5,269 have recovered since February 26 when the first coronavirus case was reported in the country, the coronavirus task force formed by the interior and health ministries said in a press release.
As many as 243 patients are currently being treated in intensive care units in Romania.
As of May 4, 12,830 people were in quarantine in Romania, while the condition of 20,085 people suspected of being infected and staying at home is being monitored.
A total of 199,068 tests for coronavirus have been carried out across the country.