Risk of new China coronavirus reaching Romania is low, experts say

Romanian experts and officials held talks on Monday on the risks Romania faces related to the new coronavirus outbreak in China. While the virus is seen as a public health emergency despite the WHO not yet declaring it as such, a top hospital official says the risk that this virus reaching Romania is low.

Alexandru Rafila, head of the Romanian Microbiology Society, said as expert talks in Bucharest concluded on Monday that a large part of cautionary measures ordered in Romania last week have become operational already.

He said that the World Health Organisation was yet to decide that the coronavirus was a public health emergency, but that it met all criteria to be considered such an emergency.

Adrian Streinu Cercel, ho heads Bucharest-based Matei Bals Institute for Infectious Diseases, said the risk that the condition reached Romania was low. He said the Institute had all capacity to diagnose and treat patients with the coronavirus, if needed.

He said all people entering Romania while having traveled to China for the past two weeks are being monitored.

No case has been identified in Romania so far.

Speaking of a group of Romanian citizens due to return from China on Tuesday, he said the Romanian Ambassy to Bucharest has informed that all members of the group were healthy.