TIRANA – All Albania’s checkpoints with Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Greece will be closed for traffic with the exception of the transportation of goods, according to an announcement made by Prime Minister Edi Rama on Saturday.
“Starting from Sunday midnight of March 15, 2020 all the land entrances to Albania from Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Greece will be closed for all travelers by bus, van or car,” the announcement clarified.
Such a measure is part and parcel of the restrictions being imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in this Balkan country where 35 cases have been identified with one fatality in Durres.
Earlier, the border with Greece was open for private cars while buses were not allowed to enter Albania.
But, as the government head revealed, the transportation of goods will not be halted. “The land border of Albania will stay open everywhere only for the transportation of goods,” Rama said, repeating the appeal: “No fear at all, carefulness yes!”
In the meantime, the opposition Democratic Party (DP) made public three urgent measures on the protection of the medical staff and citizens from coronavirus presenting them as proposals to the government.
Referring to cases when doctors and nurses of the hospitals of Durres, Fier and Berat were forced to quarantine because they were infected while serving patients without the appropriate medical protection, DP demands immediate delivery of protective equipment for the medical staff to avoid what it called ‘total collapse’.
The DP demands the following measures: Protection of the medical staff with special equipment and means, disinfestation of roads, public premises and non-public buildings at national level, and adoption without delay of the social-economic package to avoid the crisis. /argumentum.al
© Argumentum
