site.btaCOVID-19 in the Balkans

SC 15:27:31 31-12-2021
DS1524.105
105 COVID - BALKANS - BRIEF

COVID-19
in
the Balkans


Sofia, December 31 (BTA) - With the arrival of the Omicron variant, the Balkan countries nevertheless geared to welcome the New Year, mostly by tightening antiepidemic measures:

Albania

Registered over 500 new cases this week after a month of relative calm. Currently there are 90 hospitalized and 15 are in ICU, while five fatalities were reported on Wednesday.

As of January 4, vaccination certificates or negative tests every five days will be mandatory for all employees in public administration, supermarkets and retail stores in Albania. Certificates attesting to recovery from COVID-19 will also be accepted, valid for a period of six months.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Registered the first 10 cases of Omicron this past week.

Official data show that some 30 per cent of the country's population are vaccinated, although Health Ministry representatives say the actual figure is much higher because statistics does not take into account the mass migration from Bosnia and Herzegovina in recent years.

Greece

Earlier than the planned January 3, the Greek authorities introduced stricter measures as of December 30. Restaurants, clubs and other establishments will operate until midnight, only with seated customers, up to six at a table. Music is forbidden. New Year's Eve is the only exception, when establishments may remain open until 2:00 am under the same safety measures.

Cyprus

Tightened the measures before New Year, requiring as of December 30 a rapid antigen test taken up to 24 hours previously plus a vaccination certificate for entry to night and music clubs and discos, as well as attending weddings and christenings. Tests are not required of people with booster doses. Catering establishments and clubs may let in a maximum of 300 clients. All of them have to be seated and dancing is forbidden. Mask-wearing is mandatory everywhere, preferably type KN95 or FFP2.

As of January 3, remote work is introduced for at least 40 per cent of the staff of organisations and enterprises in the sphere of services.

Kosovo

Registered the first nine cases of the Omicron variant out of the 22 positive in the past week. Five of them had arrived from abroad, four were Kosovo residents. The active cases in the country currently number 419 and no fatalities have been registered in the last 24 hours.

Republic of North Macedonia

As the number of new infections remains relatively low, the authorities have decided not to tighten restrictions further, although the first case of the Omicron variant was registered in the country last week.

Romania

The country remains in the "green" scenario. So far, 38 cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed, but morbidity is low - with 0.63 per 1,000 registered in Bucharest.

This week health authorities said the quarantine for infected in Romania will be reduced to ten days, as it is in many other EU countries.

Slovenia

The trend of rising numbers of infected continues and the authorities plan further restrictive measures from the beginning of the new year.

Serbia

The authorities decided to leave restrictive measures unchanged, stating that the country had the lowest percentage of new infections in Europe. Nevertheless, they remain on guard, as positive cases are increasing and so mask-wearing and distancing should continue. The people are also called upon to get vaccinated.

Turkey

Has begun to apply its own vaccine against COVID-19, Turkovac. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said it could be applied as a booster shot regardless of any previously used vaccine. Official statistics say 83.01 per cent of Turkey's adult population are fully vaccinated.

The number of new infections has been rising in recent days, exceeding 30,000 a day.

Croatia

Croatia believes that the existing measures, including distancing and mask-wearing, will suffice to keep the situation under control. The festivities in the open in Zagreb have not been called off, but presence there will require a COVID certificate.

A total of 62.72 per cent of Croatia's adult population are vaccinated.

Montenegro

Imposed new restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19, limiting catering establishment working hours to 10:00 pm. The measure will be valid from December 30 until January 12. The exception will be New Year's Eve when they may remain open until 1:00 am. Public festivities are banned, mask-wearing indoors is obligatory.

Some 60 per cent of adult Montenegrins are vaccinated.

MT/BR



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