Countries across the world have imposed strict restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus, including the imposition of hefty fines for those violating the lockdown rules.
However, Romania seems to have reportedly issued so many fines that the amount has equaled the country’s monthly corporate tax collection.
Romania Issues Lockdown Violation Fines Worth £69 Mn
As part of its measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, Romania has reportedly issued 200,000 fines in under a month to people who failed to comply with lockdown restrictions.
According to BBC, relatively high fines were handed out by Romanian officials between 24 March and 19 April, totaling £69m, which is said to equal Romania’s corporate tax collection for the month of February 2020.
Reportedly, one of Bucharest’s mayors too was fined 10,000 lei ($2250) for cycling in a public park.
According to rules, citizens of the southeastern European country have to fill out an official form before they leave home, which states the reason for venturing out of the house. The form has to be presented with an ID card if stopped by police or military.
People violating these lockdown restrictions can face fines ranging from 2,000 Romanian lei (about $450) up to 20,000 (about $4,500).
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Fines Ensure That Romania’s Poor Healthcare System Is Not Overwhelmed
Romania, with a population of 20 million, has one of Europe’s most underfunded and ailing healthcare systems. Hence, the fines can be viewed as a way to keep people safe and not overwhelm the vulnerable healthcare system.
Currently, Romania has 12,240 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 695 deaths. A state of emergency was first imposed in the country on March 16 and has been extended to the middle of May.
Other European countries have imposed a large number of fines too. France and Spain issued around 800,000 and 500,000 fines respectively to those breaking lockdown rules over a similar period. Whereas, UK, which has a population more than three times the size of Romania, has issued around 3,500 fines in a similar period.
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