The Ministry of Home Affairs issued further guidance regarding those persons who have reached the age of 65, who are allowed to leave the residence/household at any time, in order to solve their medical problems, provided that the reason has to be justified by a declaration on oath. At the same time, they are allowed to move around the residence/household in order to meet their pet animals’ needs, but only between 20:00 and 21:00 (local time). On this ground, it will no longer be necessary a declaration on oath.
Also related to those persons over 65 years of age, their access to food supplies and strictly necessary products will be facilitated and prioritised between 11:00 and 13:00 (local time) by the managers of the produce markets and, in this respect, persons who do not belong to this age group will have limited access within this time frame.
Another measure governed by Military Ordinance No 4 consists in more severe sanctions for persons leaving isolation or quarantine, so that, in addition to the financial penalties to be imposed, such persons must enter into quarantine for 14 days, if they have been identified outside the containment area or resume the 14-day quarantining cycle respectively, if they have left the place where they were placed in quarantine without the approval of the competent authorities. In both cases, these persons will support the costs of their quarantine.
Based on Military Ordinance no. 4, cargo vehicles drivers, aircraft pilots and maritime personnel entering Romania are allowed to choose the place where they will stay in isolation or quarantine between trips, but not exceeding 14 days. Therefore, they can choose between entering into the quarantine provided by their employer, being isolated at home or entering on request into the quarantine provided by the public administration authorities, their choice being undertaken into a declaration on oath.
In the labour field, Military Ordinance No 4 establishes preventive isolation measures for personnel filling essential positions in electrical power and natural gas sectors, either at work, or in certain dedicated areas where outside persons have no access. In this respect, the refusal of preventive isolation by personnel leads to disciplinary, civil, financial or criminal liability, as appropriate.
As regards the measures to be carried out by the central and local authorities, devices with disinfectant solutions shall be fitted at the entrance of all the housing blocks in charge of the administrative-territorial unit and also, lifts, staircases and the other common areas shall be disinfected on a regular basis. Moreover, public health personnel shall be provided on request with hotel rooms for resting between shifts or on-call times, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among health medical staff or their own families.
A major measure governed by the Military Ordinance No 4 refers to the prices of electrical and thermal power, natural gas, water supply, sanitation and fuel, which may not be increased above the level applying on this date, but only reduced, depending on supply and demand.
For supporting all the prevention measures taken by the Government, during the emergency state, public utility messages will be publicized free of charge and will be added as extra time to the advertising space. Also, during the emergency state, Military Ordinance No 4 authorizes research institutes and agencies to approve or authorize medical materials, components, equipment and devices which are necessary to prevent and combat the spread of COVID-19 and to treat the infection with this virus.
In accordance with the Military Ordinance’s provisions, the maritime and inland waterway links transport, the access of vessels to Romanian ports, as well as the inspection and operation of vessels shall be carried out in compliance with all the measures taken to prevent the infection with COVID-19. Also, it is prohibited the access of pilots on board maritime and river-maritime vessels arriving from red or yellow risk areas whether they do not detain the protective equipment specified by the Ministry of Health.
One last point provided by Military Ordinance No 4 is related to the prohibition of the persons’ movement out of the residence/household into a group of more than 3 persons, a measure based on Military Ordinance No 2/2020 on measures preventing the spread of COVID-19. In this respect, Military Ordinance No 4 provides that this prohibition shall be applied exclusively to pedestrian movement, therefore, the movement of more than 3 persons on the same motor vehicle is permitted.
