Coronavirus: Romania issues 200,000 fines in less than a month

British police are estimated to have handed out 3,500 over a similar period

Romanian policemen check the papers of two car drivers as an armed military man (C) watches the scene in downtown Bucharest, Romania, on 20 April 2020. ( EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT)

Romania has reportedly issued 200,000 fines for breaches of lockdown restrictions in less than one month — a vastly higher number than other countries such as the UK, where an estimated 3,500 have been handed out.

The Romanian fines, totalling €78 million (£69 million), were given out between 24 March and 19 April, according to The Romanian Insider.

Police forces across Britain, whose population is more than three times larger than Romania, gave out 3,500 fines of between £30-60 each over a similar period.

It is unclear how many of the fines in Romania have been paid. Their total value is equivalent to the amount the country collected in corporate tax during February.

Among those fined for breaching the Covid-19 rules was Robert Negoita, a mayor of one district of Bucharest.

Mr Negoita was fined more than £1,800 (10,000 lei) after a video showed him going for a bike ride in one of the city’s parks with his girlfriend, Euronews reported.

He claimed he had merely been inspecting the bike but said he would accept the fine.

Under lockdown guidelines, Romanians have to fill in a form before they leave their homes explaining their reason for doing so.

If stopped by the police or the military, they must show this form as well as their ID.

Klaus Iohannis, Romania’s president, said the country would look to ease restrictions from 15 May, two months after the country declared a state of emergency.

The confirmed number of infections in Romania rose by 386 to 10,096 on Thursday, with 527 deaths from Covid-19 recorded so far.