Romanian Opposition Cancels Congress Amid Coronavirus Fears

Romania's Social Democratic Party, PSD, on Thursday decided to postpone this weekend's extraordinary congress to elect a new leader, citing the outbreak of the coronavirus that reached the country on Wednesday when the first case was diagnosed.

The interim leadership of the party, in charge since former prime minister Viorica Dancila resigned after her defeat in last November's presidential elections, issued a statement calling it as "a sign of responsibility which we would wish to be followed by the whole political class".

"The priority should be the people, not political activities and infighting," the statement read. Romania is due to hold local elections in June and parliamentary elections before the end of the year. The PSD was expected to choose its prime ministerial candidate this weekend.

The party said "the decision to postpone the congress also took into consideration the recommendations of medical specialists" who said mass meetings of that type were not advisable right now.

The main opposition party is not the only organisation doing its bit to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.

The Romanian Orthodox Church, to which which more than 85 per cent of Romanians belong, on Thursday advised believers not to kiss icons in churches in case they inadvertently caught or spread the disease.

The presence of hundreds of thousands of Romanian immigrants in Italy, which has more coronavirus cases than any country after China, where the outbreak started, is a major source of concern in Romania.

A number of Catholic dioceses in Italy have gone much further than banning kissing icons and statues - cancelling all public masses until further notice.

Globally, over 80,000 people in over 40 countries have been affected...