First Days of 2021 Start with Slower Covid Cases, Senior Health Official Says Peak of Epidemic Over in Albania

Albania reported 268 new coronavirus cases and four fatalities on Saturday as an influential doctor, Skender Brataj said the epidemic is under control and the latest preventive measures and immunization of the population have influenced for this.
The Health Ministry has announced that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has risen to 58,991 and the death toll reached to 1,190.
In the last 24 hours, 415 patients have been recovered, bringing the number of recovered to 34,353, and active cases are 23,448.
According to the ministry, the number of hospitalized continues to be stable and currently 286 patients are being treated in four COVID-19 hospitals.
Health institutions have conducted 1,025 tests and a total of 265,793 tests have been carried out since the beginning of the pandemic.
The director of the National Emergency, Skënder Brataj said on Saturday that there were about 500 calls only for Covid symptoms to this service.
According to him, since January 1 there were 2356 calls to 127, and 489 of them were made by people with symptoms of coronavirus.
Asked on the situation of Covid in Albania Brataj noted that the epidemic is under control and the measures and immunization of the population have influenced for this.
“Fortunately, the situation is under control and the numbers are decreasing. The vaccine is the final phase that will serve the immunization of the population, which has begun and let us not forget that we also have a good phase of naturally immunized people who are not a source of infection. Thererefore the spread of infection is also related to this factor in addition to the measures taken so far,” he said.
Experts predict a slight increase in Covid cases in the coming days. According to them, the peak of the pandemic was in November and the first half of December. There are currently about 24,000 active covid cases in the country.
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed nearly 1.83 million lives in 191 countries and regions since last December.
Over 84.22 million cases have been reported worldwide, including more than 47.45 million recoveries, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.The US, India, and Brazil remain the worst-hit countries in terms of infections while China where the first Covid case was reported early last January is free coronavirus country. /argumentum.al