site.btaCOVID-19 in the Balkans
SC 16:47:31 06-08-2021
MY1647.110
110 COVID-19 - BALKANS - BRIEF
COVID-19
in the
Balkans
Sofia, August 6 (BTA) - Most Balkan countries continued to report a deterioration of the epidemiological situation. Some introduced new restrictions in an attempt to stop the quick spread of the coronavirus while others opted for ways to boost the vaccination process, including by requiring PCR tests from unvaccinated persons for access to some public services. At this point, most countries still refrain from mandating vaccination for certain categories or professions.
GREECE: Restrictive measures including the imposition of an overnight curfew and a complete ban on music in catering establishments will be in force until August 13 on Zakynthos island and in Chania, Crete.
Health Ministry General Secretary Marios Themistocleous said that nearly 5.2 million Greeks, or 48 per cent of the country's population and 58 per cent of the adults, are fully vaccinated. He added that vaccination has slowed down because it is the holiday season, but that 40,000 doses a day are applied nevertheless.
TURKEY: Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the authorities are mulling to introduce PCR tests for unvaccinated for entry in public places like cinemas and theatres, travel by intercity bus and by airplane. Those who refuse vaccination may be required to take free PCR tests at state hospitals once every two days.
A spike in coronavirus cases has been observed in Turkey recently, reaching its peak in months last week with 24,297 new cases and 108 fatalities registered in the last 24 hours on Friday.
So far, Turkey has administered over 74 million doses from the beginning of the vaccination campaign in mid-January. A total of 66.77 per cent of the population has been administered at least one dose. At least 7 million doses of vaccine are administered weekly.
ROMANIA: The state of alert declared for the entire territory of the country has been prolonged for 30 days. New infections have increased as compared to previous weeks, with a prevalence of the Delta variant. Nearly 90 per cent of the tests taken last week proved Delta positive, said vaccination campaign coordinator Dr. Valeriu Gheorghita.
On July 30, Romania reached the threshold of 5 million vaccinated with at least one dose, a goal the authorities had set as June 1. The herd immunity achieved so far as a result of combined vaccination and passed infection is some 45-50 per cent, which is insufficient to protect the population, but at this point the authorities are not considering mandatory vaccination for certain categories.
At the same time, Romania continues to donate and resell surplus vaccine doses, announcing this week it would sell 700,000 doses to Ireland and donate nearly 1.3 million doses to Tunisia, Egypt, Albania and Vietnam.
SERBIA: Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic Thursday said the country has vaccinated 50.1 per cent of its adult population, but that is not sufficient to achieve herd immunity. The percentage of vaccinated is over 50 in 58 Serbian cities, she added.
At this point Serbia does not plan to buy more vaccines. Brnabic also said the country would donate vaccines to particularly vulnerable countries, more specifically to friendly countries in Africa.
NORTH MACEDONIA: Thirty-one per cent of Macedonians have been administered vaccines, the Ministry of Health said. The percentage with people over 50 stands at 50.6, with those over 60 - at 61.2, and at over 70 - at 64.9.
SLOVENIA: Although there are no radical changes in the figures of new cases in recent days, epidemiologists say the situation in the country is deteriorating. If the present trends continue and the level of vaccination of 38.9 per cent does not rise considerably the country, which is currently in the EU green zone, may pass into the amber zone next week and then into the red zone in the beginning of September, heath experts warn.
CROATIA: A total of 3,109,586 doses of vaccine have been administered in the country so far, 40.8 per cent of the entire population and 49.1 per cent of the adult population having received at least one doze.
A total of 1,656,936 people have been administered at least one dose and 1,506,706, or 44.7 per cent of the adult population, are fully vaccinated.
CYPRUS: The millionth dose of anti-COVID-19 vaccine was administered last week. The country with a population of some 1.2 million has one of the highest degrees of vaccination coverage in Europe with 74 per cent of the population having received at least one dose and 66 per cent fully vaccinated.
At the same time, the number of new cases remains high - 575 new cases and one mortality were confirmed on August 4.
On Thursday the country introduced the so-called Safepass for all types of public transport. The document certifies that the bearer has been administered at least one dose of vaccine, has had the infection or has a negative test run not more than 72 hours previously. This is required of all passengers, including children over 12.
ALBANIA: The authorities reported an alarming spike in new infections after 99 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the country on August 4.
Health Minister Ogerta Manastirliu recommended that all citizens avail themselves of the free of charge vaccination. To date, a total of 1,203,087 doses have been administered in the country, including over 530,000 second doses. RI/BR
/DT/
/МЙ/
MY1647.110
110 COVID-19 - BALKANS - BRIEF
COVID-19
in the
Balkans
Sofia, August 6 (BTA) - Most Balkan countries continued to report a deterioration of the epidemiological situation. Some introduced new restrictions in an attempt to stop the quick spread of the coronavirus while others opted for ways to boost the vaccination process, including by requiring PCR tests from unvaccinated persons for access to some public services. At this point, most countries still refrain from mandating vaccination for certain categories or professions.
GREECE: Restrictive measures including the imposition of an overnight curfew and a complete ban on music in catering establishments will be in force until August 13 on Zakynthos island and in Chania, Crete.
Health Ministry General Secretary Marios Themistocleous said that nearly 5.2 million Greeks, or 48 per cent of the country's population and 58 per cent of the adults, are fully vaccinated. He added that vaccination has slowed down because it is the holiday season, but that 40,000 doses a day are applied nevertheless.
TURKEY: Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the authorities are mulling to introduce PCR tests for unvaccinated for entry in public places like cinemas and theatres, travel by intercity bus and by airplane. Those who refuse vaccination may be required to take free PCR tests at state hospitals once every two days.
A spike in coronavirus cases has been observed in Turkey recently, reaching its peak in months last week with 24,297 new cases and 108 fatalities registered in the last 24 hours on Friday.
So far, Turkey has administered over 74 million doses from the beginning of the vaccination campaign in mid-January. A total of 66.77 per cent of the population has been administered at least one dose. At least 7 million doses of vaccine are administered weekly.
ROMANIA: The state of alert declared for the entire territory of the country has been prolonged for 30 days. New infections have increased as compared to previous weeks, with a prevalence of the Delta variant. Nearly 90 per cent of the tests taken last week proved Delta positive, said vaccination campaign coordinator Dr. Valeriu Gheorghita.
On July 30, Romania reached the threshold of 5 million vaccinated with at least one dose, a goal the authorities had set as June 1. The herd immunity achieved so far as a result of combined vaccination and passed infection is some 45-50 per cent, which is insufficient to protect the population, but at this point the authorities are not considering mandatory vaccination for certain categories.
At the same time, Romania continues to donate and resell surplus vaccine doses, announcing this week it would sell 700,000 doses to Ireland and donate nearly 1.3 million doses to Tunisia, Egypt, Albania and Vietnam.
SERBIA: Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic Thursday said the country has vaccinated 50.1 per cent of its adult population, but that is not sufficient to achieve herd immunity. The percentage of vaccinated is over 50 in 58 Serbian cities, she added.
At this point Serbia does not plan to buy more vaccines. Brnabic also said the country would donate vaccines to particularly vulnerable countries, more specifically to friendly countries in Africa.
NORTH MACEDONIA: Thirty-one per cent of Macedonians have been administered vaccines, the Ministry of Health said. The percentage with people over 50 stands at 50.6, with those over 60 - at 61.2, and at over 70 - at 64.9.
SLOVENIA: Although there are no radical changes in the figures of new cases in recent days, epidemiologists say the situation in the country is deteriorating. If the present trends continue and the level of vaccination of 38.9 per cent does not rise considerably the country, which is currently in the EU green zone, may pass into the amber zone next week and then into the red zone in the beginning of September, heath experts warn.
CROATIA: A total of 3,109,586 doses of vaccine have been administered in the country so far, 40.8 per cent of the entire population and 49.1 per cent of the adult population having received at least one doze.
A total of 1,656,936 people have been administered at least one dose and 1,506,706, or 44.7 per cent of the adult population, are fully vaccinated.
CYPRUS: The millionth dose of anti-COVID-19 vaccine was administered last week. The country with a population of some 1.2 million has one of the highest degrees of vaccination coverage in Europe with 74 per cent of the population having received at least one dose and 66 per cent fully vaccinated.
At the same time, the number of new cases remains high - 575 new cases and one mortality were confirmed on August 4.
On Thursday the country introduced the so-called Safepass for all types of public transport. The document certifies that the bearer has been administered at least one dose of vaccine, has had the infection or has a negative test run not more than 72 hours previously. This is required of all passengers, including children over 12.
ALBANIA: The authorities reported an alarming spike in new infections after 99 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the country on August 4.
Health Minister Ogerta Manastirliu recommended that all citizens avail themselves of the free of charge vaccination. To date, a total of 1,203,087 doses have been administered in the country, including over 530,000 second doses. RI/BR
/DT/
/МЙ/
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