TIRANA – Albania expects to enter a more relaxed time starting from the next week when austerity measures taken to limit the spread of coronavirus will be eased, according to Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Announcing the government’s relaxation plans on Friday, Rama praised the strong measures for the low number of infected people as well as the resistance of the citizens.
“Starting from Monday we will expand the timeframe of movement from 5 am to 5.30 pm, which will be used to get food, medicaments and banking services. We will expand within the next week (if the infection curve stays in the current trend) the possibility for driving a private vehicle for those who work in the allowed space of economic activity,” he declared.
The head of government said that Albania will be faced with 40 difficult days and the opening of other activities requires extra care. “In the circumstances we can look with reasonable optimism the end of May as a way out of this first phase of comprehensive confrontation with the invisible enemy. So a large part of economic activity can return to a new normalcy and many more can return to work with well-defined rules of course,” the prime minister said.
In addition he said that by next week the new amendments to the Criminal / Road Code for the period of the state of emergency of the epidemic will be adopted in parliament.
Speaking of economy Rama said the expanded financial support package would be made public early next week and it will include direct support to small businesses, large business employees, tourism and manufacturing industry sectors.
In another announcement it is foreseen a plan for gradual repatriation of Albanians which will be made available next Monday. “I want to apologize deeply to all those who are residents in Albania and for the major reason of protecting the people and our country from the aggression of the invisible enemy, have remained outside the borders,” he said informing them that the plan of a very gradual opening of the repatriation route, with the relevant mandatory conditions of 14-day quarantine under strict safety rules will be announced on Monday. /argumentum.al
