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TIRANA – In a string of humanitarian assistance from its partners during the last days, the US Embassy has announced an additional fund to support Albania’s response to the pandemic, which has taken an unexpected frightful spread across this Balkan country.
In a note on Twitter on Wednesday the US Embassy revealed that the amount of the assistance is $346,000 and it is in the frame of the $11 billion commitment by the US Government to respond to COVID19 across the world.
“The U.S. Government, through @USAIDAlbania, has obligated an additional $346,000 to support #Albania’s response to the pandemic. These funds were previously announced as part of the over $11 billion commitment by the U.S. Government to respond to #COVID19 across the world,” said the full text of the announcement.
It is not clarified how this assistance will be delivered as some countries like Japan, Switzerland, and Norway handed over assistance consisting in medicaments and medical equipment like ventilators which Albanian health system needs very much, especially now in face of the dreadful spread of the coronavirus throughout the country.
On Tuesday, 82 new cases were confirmed the highest peak ever registered since the outbreak of the epidemic on March 9 this year.
According to Rovena Daja, a specialist at the Institute of Public Health (ISHP), who made public the daily update of the coronavirus situation on Wednesday 50 new cases were discovered during the last 24 hours bringing to 1,722 the total number of the infected people in Albania. The number of hospitalized patients stands at 53 and 9 of them are in intensive care while 3 others are intubated.
In the meantime, another fatality was announced on Wednesday which takes to 38 the total number of lost lives due to the disease.
Alarm has been sounded by authorities like in the early hours of the outbreak of the pandemic with the PM warning that if the situation gets worse, then it is indispensable the reinstatement of the lockdown.
“Albania risks closing for a second time if the number of cases keeps increasing,” said Rama on Tuesday evening.
In the meantime, the chief of the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Najada Como said the only ‘weapon’ citizens have to fight the virus is cautious. “This is a situation we must be worried about,” she said, insisting that citizens must stay away from infected persons, lower the attendance of public spaces and wear masks.
‘Mask wearing’ was the main advice given by the Health Ministry on Tuesday. “It is necessary to keep the face masks in public places when it is not possible to maintain physical distance,” said a statement released by the Ministry. “The virus is still among us and as long as there is no vaccine, citizens need to adapt to the new normality, and adapt their behavior by taking care of the strict application of any established rule,” said the statement.
And which is the general reaction of Albanians to the repeated warnings of the deadly threat by COVID-19?
Strangely but also tragically enough the majority of the population is behaving in the most irresponsible way. Sometimes it comes to mind the question: Are Albanians challenging COVID -19 or do not want to obey to government’s advice risking their life and that of their family members?
The last 7 days of massive infections with a climax of 82 cases last Tuesday are sufficient evidence to show that the situation is dangerous and can get worse if there is no interaction between government’s suggested measures and citizens’ response. There are two immediate alternatives among many others in this ‘confrontation’: more responsibility by citizens and health system institutions or establishment of ‘Lockdown-2’./argumentum.al
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