Covid 3 Hospital opened yesterday to deal with the sharp increase in new cases of COVID-19 in Albania.
The news was announced by Minister of Health Ogerta Manastirliu.
She told the media “we have reactivated the plan to manage the situation and to respond to the influx into hospitals. We will do this by strengthening medical teams, providing medicines, medical supplies, and life-saving equipment.”
During last winter and early spring, the three COVID-19 hospitals in Tirana were at capacity. The government had also employed several thousand more doctors and medical staff. As cases subsided, they closed the regional units and fired all the new medical staff. This caused outrage and they protested, threatening legal action. It’s not clear if they will be hired back as a part of the “reactivation” process.
The Albanian government has also mandated COVID-19 vaccines for teachers, students (over 18), doctors and healthcare staff, pharmacists, police, and those working in public administration. This means they must either get a vaccination or leave their job. Other measures have been introduced such as a curfew between 11 pm and 6 am, and entry requirements for those coming to Albania.
Manastirliu called for “mass vaccination, to curb the spread of the epidemic in the country and to facilitate the functioning of hospitals”.
While other countries are discussing issuing third doses of the vaccine and starting the vaccination of under-12s, no such measures have been mentioned by the government so far.
There are currently 106 inpatients at Covid Hospitals and over 11,000 confirmed active cases.
