Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has offered a glimpse of how the country will begin to reopen in the following three weeks.
From May 4, 18 more municipalities will be added to the map of green areas or low-risk cities: Tropoja, Rrogozhina, Peqin, Belsh, Cërrik, Gramsh, Ura Vajgurore, Kuçova, Berat, Poliçan, Skrapar, Devoll, Pustec, Maliq, Mallakastra, Kolonja, Vlora, and Selenica. These municipalities will have in place relatively more relaxed measures.
Additionally, from May 4, intercity taxis will be allowed to operate with up to 2 passengers of the same family.
Repatriated Albanians returning to low-risk areas will be quarantined in facilities specified by the government, whereas the rest will self-quarantine in their own homes.
From May 11, the government will allow hair salons, barbershops, dentist offices, and malls to reopen. Intercity car circulation will also be allowed from 5 am to 5:30 pm.
From May 18, outdoors bars and restaurants will be allowed to reopen, although indoors service will remain prohibited. Rama said that repatriation flights that will bring Albanians back to the country would also increase in number.
A ban on cultural, sports, and artistic activities, as well as public meetings of more than five people, will remain.
The relaxing of coronavirus preventative measures will be subject to change depending on new developments in the spread of the disease.
