TIRANA – Forty-eight new coronavirus cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours in the highest spike of the infection rate in Albania since COVID – 19 started spreading rapidly early this week, health officials said on Saturday.
In the daily update Flutura Beqo, a specialist at the Ministry of Health, said 24 people were confirmed infected with Covid-19 in Tirana to be followed by Kruja with 8 cases while the number varied from 3 to 1 in Durres, Fier, Lezha, Puka, Kamez, Gjirokaster and Elbasan.
The creeping rise of the number of the affected people is believed to be caused by the virus spreading in hospitals.
According to Beqo, every day more people need hospitalization due to severe symptoms. “So far 52 people have been hospitalized and 7 of them are placed in intensive therapy,” she said, adding that there has been an increase in the number of cases in some business activities, various institutions, participation in funeral ceremonies and gatherings.
Residents in Albania can now move without a permit and no time restrictions across the country. Kindergartens, nurseries and gyms have reopened under alleged strict rules regarding social distancing and hygienic practices.
Some 270 tests were performed over the last 24 hours and it was found out that 48 came out to be positive cases most of which were contacts of previously confirmed coronavirus cases, but there are many new ones in the investigation process in Tirana, Kruja, Fier, Durres, and Kamza.
The Health Ministry launched a new appeal to citizens and businesses for strictly respecting the implementation of the recommended measures: physical distance, use of masks when being in service and when it is not possible to respect the distance, personal hygiene, disinfection of premises and their ventilation, in order to limit the spread of Covid-19.
Expressing concern over the latest developments former Health Minister Tritan Shehu, a Democratic Party senior official, considered as vital measures for saving health institutions so that they can cope with the unexpected rapid spread of coronavirus.
According to Shehu, the health institutions are in crisis turning into a source of infections. “The new hotspots of recent days in Albania are clearly related with these institutions,” he said.
The former Health Minister was concrete unveiling a seven-measure package to come out of the crisis. Among others his scheme includes viral and immunological testing of all health personnel; similar testing of all patients admitted to hospitals and all hospitals and primary staff should be equipped with appropriate masks and other medical facilities every day.
No one answers the simple question which was put many times earlier: is Albania heading towards its climax of the pandemic? /argumentum.al