Decision No 34 of National Extraordinary Public Health Commission from 13 October 2020

Chisinau, 13 October /MOLDPRES/ - Under the article 55 of Law No10/2009 on state surveillance of public health (Official Journal 2009, No 67, art. 183), as amended, following the analysis of the evolution of the epidemiological situation, the National Public Health Commission finds that the epidemiological situation is unfavorable, with major negative trends recorded in certain administrative-territorial units of the country. To enhance the efficiency of the measures applied to prevent and control COVID-19 infection and effectiveness of resource management, the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission (CNESP):

DECIDES:

1. Emergency state in the public health sector is established as of 13 October 2020 in the administrative and territorial units for which the Red Code alert degree was set, according to the Annex, based on the indicators of the level of risk of transmission of the virus SARS-CoV-2, calculated and presented by the National Public Health Agency (ANSP).  

2. Starting from 13 October 2020, the General Inspectorate of the Border Police and the Customs Service, under joint order, will establish the regime of work of the state border crossing points, taking into account the evolution of the epidemiological situation on the territory of Moldova and outside it or, as case may be, will decide on the need to cease or resume the activity of the state border crossing points in the conditions of the Article 11, paragraph (6) of the Law No 215/2011 on the state border of Moldova.    

3. CNESP amends the point 1.1, paragraph 6 – Measures of protection for voters of the Instruction on the way of organization and holding by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of ballots, in the conditions of the pandemic situation with the COVID-19 infection, approved under the CNESP Decision No 24 from 12 August 2020, as follows:   

„- the access to the polling station and the headquarters of the electoral bodies will be allowed only to the voters who wear protection masks. The electoral bureau of the district polling station will provide for free one protection mask to each elector.  ”

4. The Commission changes the point 3.9 from the Instruction on the way of organization and carrying out by CEC of elections, in the conditions of the pandemic situation with the COVID-19 infection, approved through the CNESP decision No 24 from 12 August 2020, as follows:    

4.1. The point 3.9 is set forth in the following version:

„3.9. The people with symptoms of the acute respiratory infection (fever higher than 37 Celsius degrees, cough, hard breathing, etc.) and who come to the polling station on the election day till 15:00, will not be allowed to enter the polling station, but will be registered in the list of voting at home. As for the people with clinical disease symptoms, but who come to the polling station after 15:00, conditions for voting will be created through supply with mask, gloves, priority passing to the voting booth, with minimal contact with the people present in the polling station. After the suspect people leave, all surfaces with which the person contacted will be disinfected, before another person contacts with them. These voters will be recommended to isolate themselves and inform the family physician by phone and, if needed, to call the 112 Service. The access to the polling station during the voting hours, 8:00-21:00, will be allowed, no matter the health condition, only to the voters coming to the polling stations from abroad and the ones for the voters with residence on the left bank of Dniester.   

4.2. The point 3.10 is set forth with the following version:

„3.10. The electors who are in self-isolation (for treatment at home, contact persons, persons coming from abroad from the red zone and those who have symptoms of the acute respiratory infection) will be able to exercise their right to vote by submitting an application to the electoral bureau of the polling station where the voter has his/her residence. The applications can be submitted in written form or orally, starting from two weeks before the voting day and till 18:00 of the day before the voting. On the voting day, the applications can be made till 15:00.   ”

5. The authorities of the public order sector are asked to continue supervising the observance by private people and legal entities of the measures of prevention and control of the COVID-19 infection.

6.  The decisions of the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission are executory for the central and local public administration authorities, for private people and legal entities, no matter the activity sector and the legal form of organization.  

7. The territorial extraordinary public health commissions will ensure the revising of all decisions/instructions approved, bringing them in line with the decisions by the National Extraordinary Public Health Commission of Moldova.

8. CNESP recommends that media representatives inform the public about the need to strictly observe the measures of prevention and control of the COVID-19 infection.  

9. The non-observance of the public health measures, set forth in the present Decision, represents danger for the public health and will serve as reason for calling the guilty people to contravention/criminal account. 

10. The present Decision enters into force starting the moment of its issuance and is published on the government’s official webpage and will enter into force as of 1 October 2020.   

Prime Minister, chairman of the Commission Ion Chicu

Health, Labour and Social Protection Minister, deputy chairwoman of the Commission Viorica Dumbraveanu

Secretary of the Commission, acting director of the National Public Health Agency Vasile Gustiuc

The Annex to the Decision No 34 from 13 October 2020 of the national Extraordinary Public Health Commission can be accessed at the link: https://gov.md/sites/default/files/hotarirea_cnesp_nr.34_13.10.2020.pdf