TIRANA – “The Ministry of Health and Social Protection appeals to each and every one of you: be careful to follow the rules. Use the masks everywhere indoors, when entering supermarkets, shops, in the office and any public place where you cannot keep your distance.”
This piece of advice is addressed to Albanian citizens in the forefront of the daily update on the coronavirus situation in the country, where the curb of the spread of the COVID19 pandemic continues to be dreadful.
The figures of the spread of the disease during the last 24 hours speak for themselves: two fatalities, 67 new infected persons, 88 patients currently hospitalized, and 1,108 active people with COVID19 considered a dangerous threat for further spread of the virus.
“We would like to inform you about the epidemiological situation in the country where there are still new hospitalizations. Currently 88 patients are being treated, and 8 of them are in intensive care, while 1 is intubated,” said Ms. Mirela Cami, Director of the Service Operator of Health Care at the Health Ministry on Saturday.
“Unfortunately, 2 citizens have lost the battle with COVID19 during the last 24 hours. A 67-year-old and a 73-year-old, both from Tirana with some concomitant diseases, have lost their lives in the infectious disease hospital, despite the efforts of the medical staff,” she said, extending condolences to the families of the victims. According to her, 376 tests were performed and 67 positive cases were confirmed after the analysis.
In the meantime she said that 45 citizens have been cured, bringing the number of cured people to 1,637 since the outbreak of the epidemic. “Currently in our country there are 1,108 active people with COVID19, mainly in Tirana, Shkodra, Durres,” said Cami.
“The Ministry of Health and Social Protection once again calls on businesses, institutions to correctly implement safety protocols at work, approved by the health authorities. When possible allow employees to work from home to minimize contact between them and the spread of infection,” said the Director.
Ms. Cami reiterated the constant advice to citizens: Maintain physical distance, wash your hands often, use face masks or protective barriers in public places or wherever it is not possible to keep your distance, disinfect objects and ventilate the premises where you stand.
She concluded by saying that the virus is still between the people and it can only be defeated if Albanian citizens change their daily behavior by following established rules.
But in a post on FB the well known doctor Erion Dasho, who leads the m4h work in the field of Digital Health and Innovations since October 2018, unveiled an analysis of the situation saying that Albania is in the post – quarantine stage during which the epidemic has apparently come out of control.
Dr. Dasho appreciated the measures taken in March at the outbreak of the disease but there were many mistakes in the following months among which he mentions the prolongation of the quarantine with rigid exaggerations, political protagonism replacing experts’ role, spreading messages of war- like character which turned into a psychological aggression on citizens and chaotic measures on the movement of citizens oriented by a weird logic.
The Doctor is concerned about the situation in general and particularly of that in hospitals. ”Today we see an epidemiological situation characterized by daily growth of infected cases and deaths. Today, the second stage of the response towards COVID19 finds Albania ‘back in identity’,” said Dr. Dasho./argumentum. al
