Authorities have put under quarantine two towns in northern Kosovo inhabited by Serbian majority. Northern Mitrovica and Zvecan will be locked down indefinitely starting from Friday evening. These towns have reported 20 cases of coronavirus out of 135 in total in Kosovo.
Under the new restrictive measures, no one can enter of exit the towns, people can go out only to buy food and medicine. All gatherings are prohibited, people must keep a minimum of 2-meter distance from each other, and funerals can only be attended by family members of the deceased. Medical, municipality and security personnel, and those involved in supply chain are exempt from these measures.
The decision to impose a quarantine was announced by Serbian Mayor of northern Mitrovica Goraq Rakic.
Kosovo police and KFOR troops are helping with the implementation of restrictions by blocking the Ibar River that divides the two parts of Mitrovica city, in order to not let people pass.
The southern part is administered by an elected Albanian mayor.
The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo claimed the quarantine was imposed by Belgrade, and accused the caretaker government of Albin Kurti of being unable to exercise any power in north.
The government denied it by claiming that they were “fully involved in the public health emergency situation” and in the decision-making process before the lockdown was announced.
