Albania has closed its border with Kosovo, as it has done with Italy and Greece, as the number of COVID-19 cases reached 33 on Friday.
The news was announced on Friday by the Border Management Centre and specified that only health aid vehicles, government vehicles and those transporting goods will be allowed to enter Albania.
These measures will last until at least 15 of March, the same day the current ‘lockdown’ in Albania ends.
This morning the Albanian Minister of Health announced that there are 10 new cases of Coronavirus in Albania since yesterday. These include 19 cases in Tirana, five in Durres, one in Lushnja, two in Elbasan, four in Fier and two in Rrogozhina.
Eight of the infected have been admitted to Tirana’s infections diseases hospital and the remaining 25 cases are in a stable condition, self-quarantined in their homes. So far, one person has died from the infection, an elderly woman from Durres who had recently returned from Italy.
This morning at 6 am, a government order came into force banning the movement of all private vehicles. Only those with permission to travel or specific vehicles such as state vehicles and goods transport are allowed to travel. The police and army have been on the streets monitoring the situation and have detained over 50 people for breaking the rules so far.
The lockdown will stay in place until Sunday at midnight when it is expected that the decision will be taken whether to extend it or not.
Tirana, Durres, Shkodra, Lezhe, Elbasan, Vlora and some smaller cities have all implemented these measures as well as closing all shops except pharmacies and grocery shops.
Public transport is also canceled and anyone needing to travel for an emergency, or to the airport is required to call the police beforehand to give them the car registration number and other details.
