TIRANA – The total number of affected persons with coronavirus has mounted to 400 as Albania enters the fifth week of the epidemic in a state of strict restrictive measures. A medical bulletin released on Wednesday revealed that 17 new cases were confirmed during the last 24 hours, while the number of fatalities stands at 22.
“Some 236 suspected infected persons were tested out of whom 17 resulted positive over the last 24 hours. Up to now 2989 people have been tested for the Covid-19 virus,” said Albana Fico, chief of the Institute of Public Health (ISHP). In addition, she said that 23 patients had recovered taking the number of cured persons to 154, which is considered a significant figure for a country like Albania considered as a Balkan country with an incapacitated health system.
The number of the hospitalized patients is 58 at the infectious diseases hospital and 6 at COVID 2 “Shefqet Ndroqi” hospital, and according to Ms. Fico the Capital Tirana registered the highest number of the infected persons with 9 cases.
PM in Cautionary Optimism Warns ‘Enemy’ at Albanians’ Doorsteps
If it is continued in this way Albania will come victorious in the battle with coronavirus, said PM Edi Rama in a post on his FB account on Wednesday.
“Thanks to the rapid strong measures and your excellent resistance there has been a gradual drop of hospitalizations of persons with Covid- 19,” the government head said in a comment on the latest figures provided by the medical authorities.
According to him this indicator which is seen very little not to say at all in other countries under aggression shows that “we are doing the right thing”. He warned that such a path should be pursued patiently because the enemy is at doorsteps of every Albanian.
“If we continue in this way we will come out victorious sooner than many others and with the heads up from this historical challenge in front of the next generations,” said Rama.
Opposition DP Sees Hidden Reality in Low Number of Tests
But the opposition is not pleased at all with the current situation in the country because as a senior official of the Democratic Party (DP), the largest opposition political force in Albania, PM lies when he declared that Albania could test 2000 persons per day. The former DP deputy, Barsh Spahia, a doctor by profession, said on Wednesday that the difficult March proved repeatedly that the government was unprepared to face the coronavirus crisis.
“In an effort to hide the insufficient supply with test kits, Edi Rama kept secret their quantity and when he was obliged to speak he lied,” said Spahia.
“The low number of tests hides the reality of the spread of the virus in Albania,” concluded the DP former lawmaker. /argumentum.al
