News for American Citizens

What's new (Archive for 2006)

• Holiday Shopping? How To Be On Guard When You're Online
• U.S. Embassy Consular section – limited operations July 21, 24, 25 and 26.
• Important Notice about the 2006 U.S. Elections
• Warden Message: Parts of Bucharest, and towns in ten counties, quarantined for avian influenza in birds
• Warden Message: Outbreak of Avian Influenza in Brasov County
• Warden Message: How You Can Prepare for Emergencies, Including Avian Influenza

back to top ^

Holiday Shopping? How To Be On Guard When You're Online

Thinking about shopping for the holidays? It’s no secret that browsing and buying online can save you time, money, and effort. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, says shoppers who stop and think before they click can prevent an online Scrooge from interfering with their purchases and ultimately, their holiday fun.

For information on how to protect yourself while shopping online please go to

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/shopalrt.htm

back to top ^

U.S. Embassy Consular section – limited operations July 21, 24, 25 and 26.

The consular section of the United States Embassy in Bucharest will be under limited operations Friday, July 21 through Wednesday, 26 July 2006, due to extensive construction work. Emergency services for American citizens will be available as usual, by telephone (200-3300) or in person at the consulate, located on Str. Batistei between Str. Nicolae Filipescu and Str. Tudor Arghezi.

American citizens requiring non-emergency services -- such as passport renewals, notarials, registration, U.S. federal government benefits, and reports of birth -- are welcome before or after those dates.

Applications for non-immigrant visas for children under age fourteen and for persons age 80 or over will be accepted as usual through our "drop box" procedure, per guidance found at http://bucharest.usembassy.gov/Visas/Drop_Box_DHL.html .

Full operations will resume on Thursday, July 27.

General U.S. consular information is available at: http://bucharest.usembassy.gov

back to top ^

Important Notice about the 2006 U.S. Elections

All American citizens are reminded that 2006 is an election year in the United States. Every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and one-third of the seats in the U.S. Senate are being contested this year. Overseas citizens are eligible to participate in primary, run-off, and special elections that occur throughout the year, as well as the general elections in November.

We strongly encourage you to register to vote and/or request absentee ballots as early in the year as possible to ensure that you will receive all ballots for which you are eligible. Should questions or problems occur, you would still be able to address them in time to vote in the 2006 general elections.

The following is the basic absentee voting process:

  • You complete an application form (see below) and send it to local election officials in the U.S.
  • The local official approves your request, or contacts you for further information
  • The local official sends you an absentee ballot
  • You vote the ballot and send it back in time to meet your state's deadline

The official US Government website for overseas absentee voting assistance is the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at www.fvap.gov. It has a wealth of information about absentee voting, including the downloadable absentee ballot application, state-specific instructions for completing the form, links to state and local officials, and a downloadable emergency ballot.

Overseas citizens groups help people to vote. We encourage you to contact Democrats Abroad, Republicans Abroad or other American citizens groups or organizations for assistance in registering to vote and requesting absentee ballots. Links to these groups are at http://www.fvap.gov/links/ocitlinks.html.

To register to vote and to request an absentee ballot, download the Federal Post Card Application at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/onlinefpca.html. You can also obtain this form from overseas American citizens groups or from the U.S. Embassy/Consulate. Fill it out and send it in, following the guidelines for your state. A postage-paid envelope template, valid if you are using the U.S. postal system, is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/returnenvelope.html.

Each state has different voting procedures. Information about your state's procedures is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/vag/vagchapter3.html. Information about your state's deadlines to register and vote is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html. A calendar of election dates is available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/primarycal.html.

States sometimes make last-minute changes. There may be late changes to your state's voting calendar, procedures or deadlines. When these occur, the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) will issue a News Release. News Releases are available at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/releases.html.

Be an educated voter. Non-partisan information about candidates, their voting records, and their positions on issues is widely available and easy to obtain via the Internet. Use the links appearing on the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at http://www.fvap.gov/links/otherlinks.html, or choose any one of several search engines to locate articles and information.

An emergency ballot is available. If the ballot receipt deadline is approaching, and you have not yet received the blank ballot from local officials, you can download an emergency ballot, write in the names of the candidates and the offices for which they are running, and send it back in time to meet your state's ballot receipt deadline. The emergency ballot (SF-186, Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot, or FWAB) is available on the Internet at http://www.fvap.gov/pubs/forms.html.

The Voting Assistance Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest is available to answer questions about absentee voting. To contact the Voting Assistance Officer, call 021-200-3300 or send an e-mail to acsbucharest@state.gov. Look for notices from the Embassy/Consulate throughout the year relating to the 2006 elections.

Again, we strongly encourage you to begin this process as soon as possible.

back to top ^

Warden Message: Parts of Bucharest, and towns in ten counties, quarantined for avian influenza in birds

Romanian authorities have quarantined parts of Sectors 2 and 4 in Bucharest, as well as several dozen localities in ten counties around Romania, where they have confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus, which causes Avian Influenza (AI), in household poultry. This is the first confirmation of H5N1 in the capital. Authorities are culling flocks of poultry and screening and spraying vehicles passing through the quarantine zones.

Quarantines may be imposed on short notice if the authorities find new areas where AI is suspected. American citizens are advised to respect the quarantine zones, avoiding those areas if outside of the zones and remaining at home if instructed by the local authorities to do so. We encourage you to cooperate with quarantine check points and public health measures such as spraying of vehicles with chemicals to prevent spread of the virus.

The Embassy reminds American citizen residents in Romania to ensure their households are prepared for emergencies, including possible periods of quarantine. The Embassy recommends having three weeks’ worth of water, food and daily necessities available for every member of the household. You may review information about AI, including suggested precautions, on the U.S. Department of State’s "Avian Flu Fact Sheet," at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_1181.html . The State Department website includes answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s), and links to websites of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guidance on how private citizens can prepare for a “stay in place” response to an avian flu pandemic or a variety of other emergencies is available on the websites of the CDC, the American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (http://www.fema.gov) and http://pandemicflu.gov/ websites.

Avian Influenza is a disease in birds that can be passed to humans. To date, there have been no known human cases of AI in Romania. Human cases around the world have involved people in extremely close contact with live poultry or those slaughtering fowl. Staying away from areas where birds are raised, slaughtered or sold, as well as standard hand washing and food preparation hygiene should be practiced. Contact your health care provider immediately should you come in close contact with sick birds or birds suspected of having AI, and should you develop flu-like symptoms.

A specific vaccine for humans that is effective in preventing avian influenza is not yet readily available. Based upon limited data, the CDC has suggested that the anti-viral medication Oseltamivir (brand name-Tamiflu) may be effective in treating people who are infected with H5N1. Because the U.S. Government cannot provide medication to private U.S. citizens abroad, the Embassy encourages American citizens traveling or living in Romania to consult with their private physician about obtaining Tamiflu prior to travel, or whether Tamiflu is readily available to them in this country.

The Embassy encourages Americans in Romania to register with the Embassy in Bucharest. Registration may be done on-line at: https://travelregistration.state.gov. Information on registration procedures, all security-related Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, and recent Embassy warden messages are posted on the Embassy's website at: http://bucharest.usembassy.gov

The Embassy is located at 7-9 Str. Tudor Arghezi, Bucharest, Romania. During regular business hours you may contact the Embassy American Citizens Services office at 021-200-3300, or by email at acsbucharest@state.gov . The emergency after-hours telephone number is 021-200-3433.

back to top ^

Warden Message: Outbreak of Avian Influenza in Brasov County

On May 12, according to media reports, Romanian authorities confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus, which causes Avian Influenza (AI), in poultry in several locations in Brasov County, central Romania. (Map of Brasov County: http://www.aboutromania.com/maps74.html ). This is the first time H5N1 has been detected in commercial flocks in Romania. Authorities have quarantined the affected towns and villages. They are culling flocks of poultry and screening and spraying vehicles passing through the zone; investigating the extent to which the virus may have spread to other flocks or be present in poultry products already on the market; and destroying meat in the markets that can be identified as coming from the affected farms.

Avian Influenza is a disease in birds that can be passed to humans. It has not been observed to transmit between humans. To date, no cases of bird to human transmission have occurred in Romania.

American citizens are advised to avoid any areas where the Romanian government has detected avian influenza, consulting the local media for updated information on affected areas. Proper food handling and hygiene measures protect against H5N1 infection:

1. Avoid contact with live poultry. Should you come in contact with live birds, follow proper hand hygiene (washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water, or, when water is unavailable, with liquid hand sanitizers).

2. Use separate surfaces and utensils for uncooked poultry products. Do not handle cooked foods or foods eaten raw such as vegetables and fruit with items used on uncooked poultry.

3. Clean all eggs in soapy water or in a mild bleach solution. Cook eggs thoroughly before eating.

4. Cook all poultry products thoroughly (to 70 degrees Celsius).

5. Thoroughly clean all surfaces that have come in contact with uncooked poultry products.

6. Wash your hands thoroughly and often when preparing food.

7. If you have come into close contact with live fowl in AI infected areas, and become ill with flu-like symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.

The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens in Romania to review information about AI, including suggested precautions, on the U.S. Department of State's "Avian Flu Fact Sheet", at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_1181.html . The State Department website includes answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s), and links to websites of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Guidance on how private citizens can prepare for a “stay in place” response to an avian flu pandemic or a variety of other emergencies is available on the websites of the CDC, the American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (http://www.fema.gov) and http://pandemicflu.gov/ websites.

A specific vaccine for humans that is effective in preventing avian influenza is not yet readily available. Based upon limited data, the CDC has suggested that the anti-viral medication Oseltamivir (brand name-Tamiflu) may be effective in treating people who are infected with H5N1. Because the U.S. Government cannot provide medication to private U.S. citizens abroad, the Embassy encourages American citizens traveling or living in Romania to consult with their private physician about obtaining Tamiflu prior to travel, or whether Tamiflu is readily available to them in this country.

The Embassy encourages Americans in Romania to register with the Embassy in Bucharest. Registration may be done on-line at: https://travelregistration.state.gov. Information on registration procedures, all security-related Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, and recent Embassy warden messages are posted on the Embassy's website at: http://bucharest.usembassy.gov

The Embassy is located at 7-9 Str. Tudor Arghezi, Bucharest, Romania. During regular business hours you may contact the Embassy American Citizens Services office at 021-200-3300, or by email at acsbucharest@state.gov . The emergency after-hours telephone number is 021-200-3433.

back to top ^

Warden Message: How You Can Prepare for Emergencies, Including Avian Influenza

Romanian authorities have reinforced measures to prevent the spread of AI in this country. No human cases of AI have been reported in Romania. However, some locations remain under quarantine and local health officials continue to cull poultry, disinfect vehicles and property and take other preventive actions in areas where the virus has been detected. American citizens are advised to avoid any areas where the Romanian government has detected avian influenza, consulting the local media for updated information on affected areas.

In light of human deaths and illnesses in Turkey in recent weeks due to Avian Influenza (AI) caused by the H5N1 virus, the U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens in Romania to review information about AI, including suggested precautions, on the U.S. Department of State’s “Avian Flu Fact Sheet,” at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_1181.html . The State Department website includes answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s), and links to websites of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

American citizens are urged to make their own preparations for emergencies that could occur in Romania. Besides the possibility of a global pandemic of avian flu, earthquakes, severe winter weather or terrorist acts could disrupt public services for extended periods. The American Embassy or Romanian Government would not be able to provide food, water, medicines or other needs of private citizens. It may be possible that a response to a pandemic would include imposing public health measures that restrict domestic and international movement, further limiting the U.S. Government’s ability to assist Americans in the country. Guidance on how private citizens can prepare for a “stay in place” response or a variety of other emergencies is available on the websites of the CDC, the American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (http://www.fema.gov) and http://pandemicflu.gov/ websites.

A specific vaccine for humans that is effective in preventing avian influenza is not yet available. Based upon limited data, the CDC has suggested that the anti-viral medication Oseltamivir (brand name-Tamiflu) may be effective in treating people who are infected with H5N1. Because the U.S. Government cannot provide medication to private U.S. citizens abroad, the Embassy encourages American citizens traveling or living in Romania to consult with their private physician about obtaining Tamiflu prior to travel, or whether Tamiflu is readily available to them in this country.

The Embassy encourages Americans in Romania to register with the Embassy in Bucharest. Registration may be done on-line at: https://travelregistration.state.gov. Information on registration procedures, all security-related Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, and recent Embassy warden messages are posted on the Embassy's website at: http://bucharest.usembassy.gov

The Embassy is located at 7-9 Str. Tudor Arghezi, Bucharest, Romania. During regular business hours you may contact the Embassy American Citizens Services office at 021-316-4052, or by email at acsbucharest@state.gov . The emergency after-hours telephone number is 021-319-4106.

back to top ^