TIRANA – The total number of infected people has mounted to 678 with 15 new cases of COVID-19 being confirmed as Albania starts the long lockdown on Friday at 5.30 pm which will last until Monday at 5 am.
“Some 259 people suspected of having COVID-19 were tested during the last 24 hours and the results revealed that 15 persons were positive with the virus. So far, 6768 suspected cases have been tested and about 10% (678) of the total number of tested cases turned out positive,” said Eugena Tomini, a specialist at the Institute of Public Health O(ISHP).
According to her, 36 members of health personnel had been tested and the results showed they were negative.
The map of the spread of the epidemic reveals that out of the total number of new cases 9 were found in Tirana, 2 in Mirdita, 1 in Shkodra, 1 in Kukes, 1 in Has and 1 in Kurbin. It is noted that there were no confirmed cases in Kruja where 13 infected persons were tested positive on Thursday. The source of the infection was identified to be in a textile workshop in this town where 61 such workshops operate. An inquiry is underway about the security health conditions in the premises of these enterprises, local media quoted authorities as saying on Thursday evening.
Tomini said that there are 46 infected patients at the two infectious diseases hospitals in Tirana. According to her, 9 patients were added to the list of the recoveries bringing the total number of the cured patients to 394.
In the meantime, police authorities have reminded Albanians that the long weekend lockdown will start on Friday afternoon at 5.30 and the restrictions are similar to those applied a week ago. The curfew will end next Monday at 5 o’clock in the morning.
Deputy Director of Police for Public Safety, Dhimitraq Ziu said on Friday he did not know if PM Edi Rama would announce any exit time from houses for the elderly and children on Saturday and Sunday respectively as last week. /argumentum.al
