Albania may lift most pandemic-related restrictions during in March, according to Skënder Brataj, head of the National Emergency Service.
Brataj, who is also a member of the technical committee charged with overseeing measures to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, made the announcement on Euronews Albania on Wednesday, February 23.
According to Brataj, this would include lifting the 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, although he didn’t mention if restrictions for indoor and outdoor events will be on the table.
Also on Wednesday, Minister of Health Ogerta Manastirliu announced that some measures have already changed, with quarantine being reduced to five days for those who have tested positive.
Booster would also be available five months after receiving the last dose of the vaccine, rather than six.
Albanian epidemiologists and doctors have been cautiously optimistic about the country’s progress after an all-time peak in the number of cases was recorded in January.
According to Doctor Ilir Alimehmeti now measures will need to focus on supporting hospitals and health workers rather than restricting people’s activities.
There are currently some 3,763 active cases in Albania, and 73 patients hospitalized with COVID. At the peak of the pandemic on January 23, there were roughly 24,000 active cases.
The European Union and its members have also started to ease restrictions, with the Council updating its travel guidelines recommending that member states “allow non-essential travel for persons vaccinated with an EU-or WHO-approved vaccine, recovered persons and all persons travelling from a country on the EU list.”
