TIRANA – Saturday is recorded as the worst day in Albania with an increase to 18 of the fatalities and reconfirmation of 39 new cases taking to 333 the total number of the affected persons with coronavirus, the daily update of health authorities has revealed.
The Institute of Public Health (ISHP), said in a statement on Saturday that a 67-year-old patient affected with Covid-19 passed away in the infectious diseases hospital on Saturday morning.
“The patient was hospitalized in the infectious diseases hospital 13 days ago and was intubated for 6 days and underwent hemodialysis,” said ISHP’s Marjeta Dervishi, who confirmed that the total number of fatalities amount to 18 so far. She said that 216 suspected persons were tested in the last 24 hours.
The total number of the suspected cases stands at 2247 at the end of this week which had been expected to be as the ‘critical time’ of the pandemic since its outbreak three weeks ago when the so called patient 0 was confirmed.
The average age of the affected people is 50 years-old. In the meantime it is reported that the number of the recovered patients has amounted to 99 at a time when there are 66 patients in the infectious diseases service with 6 of them being in intensive care. There are 5 hospitalized patients out whom 2 in intensive care at the COVID hospital 2 “Shefqet Ndroqi”.
Tirana, Durres, Elbasan Has, Lushnja, Kavaja, Lezha, and Shkodra have seen the highest rise during the last 24 hours.
PM in Tough Warning to Violators of Restrictions
Right after the publication of Saturday’s daily bulletin PM Edi Rama was harsh in his warning to citizens who violate the confinement measures, and ordered police and army to place urgently sanitary cordons at supermarkets.
“The army and the municipality police will set urgently sanitary cordons at markets. State Police will punish severely the violators with new punishing measures,” said Rama on his FB on Saturday. He informed that the new punishing measures will become law on Monday and there will be detention of ‘strong headed’ persons.
“Tirana is the most dangerous center of the war. Durres like Tirana can turn in our Waterloo. Shkodra is now a time bomb. There is a great potential risk in Fier,” said the government head who warned that the advantage can be lost everywhere.
Closing in an optimistic note Rama said: “Forget, we will not lose this war because of the mindless people, who do not have the power to fight as the whole Albanian people.”
Opposition Head Lashes Out at Govt
In a comment on his FB account on Saturday the head of the Democratic Party (DP) Lulzim Basha kept the rising tone of criticism against the government blaming it for lack of transparency and failure to carry out massive testing for Covid-19.
“Government should implement the standard demand of the WHO: increase of the number of tests,” said Basha, who warned that any avoidance of this demand is a severe responsibility which does not only hide the truth but costs dearly.
“It should be acted today, any lost day turns into cost of life and health!” concluded the opposition chief. /argumentum.al
