Tataru: No one is prepared to experiment with children and teachers; there are rules we have to follow

Health Minister Nelu Tataru on Monday evening urged people in schools to follow the rules regarding the wearing of the mask, distancing, and the use of the disinfectant and pointed out that giving them up would involve experiments that the Romanian government cannot do.

"We have not talked about courage, but we have talked about precautions. If we see that there is a low community transmission, that we have all the conditions so that we can keep distance, that we can be sure that the health rules are followed, if we are sure there is also the disinfectant, that someone is monitoring these activities, we will rethink, but at the moment, we are not in a position to let freedom prevail (...) No. There are some rules that we have to keep in place: the mask, distancing, the disinfectants. Let's keep these rules. I don't think anyone is ready to experiment with children and teachers," Tataru told Digi 24 private broadcaster.

Tataru, who was asked if he would have the courage to leave it to schools to decide whether to wear a mask or sing in music classes, as did the German state of Baden-Württemberg, said that so far in Romania compliance with the rules has led to "good results and is helping us get over this pandemic moment."

"Once again: we are not experimenting. We have pledged as a ministry, as a government, as an administration to get through this pandemic and get through as few diseases and as few victims as possible. I don't know if anyone can afford it - the Romanian Government does not - to do experiments at the moment. At the moment we have some rules imposed by the National Institute for Public Health, some joint orders of the Education Ministry and the Health Ministry that we are all compelled in a partnership to follow," said the minister.

Tataru considers that the mentioned schools "have a certain standard" and pleads for students and teachers wearing a mask even outdoors "when there are gatherings and human agglomerations".