The Albanian Minister of Health Ogerta Manastirliu has announced 24 new cases of Coronavirus in Albania.
She made the announcement from Albanian Parliament this morning. Tomorrow will be 40 days since the first case of COVID-19 was announced in the country. There have now been 518 confirmed cases.
In her address she said:
“Tomorrow is the 40th day we are facing COVID-19 and the timely decisions take by the government have avoided what is called a crisis or collapse. In this war, most citizens have been a perfect example of protecting themselves and not risking infecting others. Our heroes are doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, national emergency workers, and I express my gratitude to them. There are 518 cases of COVID-19 today.”
She added that the number of recoveries outnumbered the new active cases.
“Medical personnel have been tested and less than 9% have tested positive, over half of those affected have recovered. In both COVID hospitals, we are running at 14% capacity. We have no shortage of protective material, apparatus and respirators. The number of healed has exceeded the number of active infected. I know that it is too early for a balance and the war is not over, but in these 40 days under strict measures, we have managed to flatten the epidemic curve.”
Manastirliu said that 4830 tests had been conducted to date and they were continuing to trace and isolate anyone suspected of being exposed to infected persons. She also stated that in Shkodra where a number of cases have been identified, around 60% are asymptomatic.
The next challenge, she said, will be the careful reopening of businesses and the return to normal life while observing the data of the epidemiological curve.
She said “There is no doubt that the war does not end here. Until we discover the vaccine that will defeat this virus, we will need to improve our COVID-19 coping strategy every day.”
