Prime Minister Edi Rama’s at cabinet meeting on new measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
Hello everyone!
We are convening this prescheduled meeting also for the public keenly interested in following the events and developments from our point of view and the first thing I want to highlight is that everyone who has followed the previous cabinet meetings has noticed the Deputy Ministers regularly attending our meetings, but the today’s presence is reduced because we cannot recommend and impose measures on others without setting our lead. And not merely set an example, but to also perform our duty as citizens, not only protecting ourselves, but also protecting others, protecting society and thus each contributing individually to a fight that has turned into a world war against an unknown virus.
I would like to extend the clear message to everyone that the appeal to limit physical contacts as much as possible is not something so just to tell everybody to do so, but rather an appeal fuelled and based on the number one advice of the World Health Organization (WHO) and all experts in this field around the globe.
We decided to shut down schools, kindergartens, nursery schools, and universities, but we did so not to grant a two-week holiday opportunity to our boys and girls so that they can gather in dance clubs, pubs and entertain as they do in normal circumstances, because this is war that the world and we will definitely win all together in order to limit as much as possible the potential damages, this time not physical ones just like it was the case when the earthquake rattled the country, but a fight to curb damages to our own and our citizens’ health.
On the other hand, this is not a conventional war, where the entirety of human virtues combined with bravery, courage, fearlessness, the passion for freedom and self-sacrifice all prevail. This is a fight against an invisible enemy breaks into our bodies and into the bodies of our dearest people, seriously threatening the health and mainly threatening the lives of the older and chronically ailing people. That means you can be a highlander, you can be a southern resident with a lot stories of bravery to boast, but in this case, this enemy doesn’t care where you come from, neither who you are, or what your background is. It just strikes!
I am saying this because despite the fact that certain individuals of certain ages who are taken aback when a microphone is placed in front of them and they can utter such phrases, certainly making everyone else laugh, it is actually intolerable and inexcusable and in discordance to any standard of the media ethics when the TV channels air these episodes humorously, instead of making use of each second and each minute to raise public awareness about the potential risks the virus poses. This is not a joke!
WHO has of course acknowledged a big truth, saying that in addition to the fight against the virus, apart from the efforts to combat this outbreak, we have to wage another war to combat the so-called “info-demic”, misinformation about the virus, namely the fake news, misinforming news stories, social networks posts, statements and debates that lead nowhere, but just exacerbate the situation and confusion, increase uncertainty, deepen ambiguity.
Therefore, in this very early stage of the war against this invisible enemy that has already invade our territory, has broken into the bodies of our people, I keep on inviting every media outlet and everyone of those who are granted the opportunity to use a microphone, and all of those who have a group of their social network followers and who post their opinions not to abuse and become aware that this is not just like one of those regular political battles. It is a fight whose fate rests on our own hand, on our behaviour and commitment, on obeying the seemingly completely elementary, yet essential advices so that it causes less damages than the damages inflicted by a war when we behave irresponsibly and resort to challenges that have nothing to do with the enemy that is not in front of us, yet it can enter all our body.
As you know, the number of novel coronavirus cases has increased and it is important for everyone to hear that eight new cases are close family members and contacts of the two first cases, or more precisely the first coranavirus infected case in son and father and then six other infected people, who are so-called close contacts. Two other coronavirus cases have been detected in an old woman in Durres and a young man in Tirana. All confirmed cases are imported from Italy. Being so close geographically to Italy and having so many contacts with Italy, it was inevitable for our Committee of experts, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, to develop the scenarios of a neighbouring country that has already totally become a red zone. These scenarios have been developed in stages to tackle the dynamics of the virus spread, but the basis remains unchanged in all three scenarios, while we wish that the virus outbreak weakens.
We strongly believe that this is the case when the public persons, because of access and responsibility, all political representatives who have a duty today to unite and not to divide into different task forces that are unknown example on the planet. No alternative task forces have been established in other countries on the planet, let alone several task forces: the opposition task force, the presidential task force, the digital task force. What for?
What one would politically gain and what could politically gain from this fight but our character as elected people?
I was very pleased when the opposition leader delivered a speech to the public opinion a day ago, which was neither more nor less, but the same speech delivered by all his counterparts in the same position in all countries affected by the virus. But today, everything changed, fuelling panic and unjustified misinformation.
Albania is not so big and it lacks so many experts to be divided into so many task forces.
Albania is a tiny country, it has excellent experts, but if in a G7 country like Italy, a country with one of the most excellent health system among the EU member states, the system practically collapsed, although everyone, including retired doctors and nurses, the institutes of experts joined the efforts to combat  the virus, what could happen in a small nation like Albania and what can be better done by these honourable experts part of these task forces than by joining the health authority and the Technical Committee of Experts.
It is not at all a problem if this task force is monitored, but the level of communication, cooperation and understanding should not be in favour of one party or another, because it is not about parties, but a human community threatened by a virus. We all have our own families and our parents and elderly are equally threatened. We are individuals whose dearest ones and the most vulnerable ones among us are equally threatened. A level of communication should be established to do our best, and not a poisonous extension of the daily miserable political fight in peaceful time.
These are the face masks that have been distributed to the health personnel in the health centres and hospitals that are not directly mobilized in the front line of the war perimeter with the coranavirus infected patients.
These are the face masks sent to Albania as a donation from a Canada-based foundation called “the Sons of Eagle”. The load of these masks was blocked by Durres customs officials because, as everyone knows, Albania has always had a customs regime equally applied to both goods and humanitarian aid materials. These face masks were destined for a charity organization, which, despite the consistent calls by the customs authorities, never reported to pay the customs fees in order to withdraw this materials produced by an American company in China and if these face masks were to be dangerous ones and if their expiration was to bring about other implications but a lower efficiency in the operation theatres, where surgical interventions are performed in a completely sterile environment, then these masks would have not been allowed to cross neither Canadian, nor the U.S. borders and cross the ocean to arrive in Albania. These are face masks, which are widely used after their expiration date outside the surgery suites, and this doesn’t mean these are dangerous ones, but they are simply less efficient. However, they are much efficient than the paper handkerchiefs, or gauze bandages that are used to cover mouth and nose to protect yourself or others in the case of flu outbreaks. Claiming that these face masks are dangerous ones, it means that you are not simply trying to spread panic, or forget this is not the time to fight the government, but today it is the time for everyone, the government, the opposition, whole political class and every Albanian to fight together against an enemy that has taken the world off the rails of its normality.
Having said these, I repeat that the today’s accusations about the face masks are similar to the accusations about the quarantine, the Army Holiday House, about which, as it is the case of the face masks today, certain people said it was the flagrant evidence of catching the government red-handed. Why? Because a cabinet decision is made and then everybody claims that only today we started thinking about turning the Army Holiday House into quarantine.
There is no country on the planet to have established several task forces today, especially today when they are dealing with the virus outbreak.
The Army Holiday House is ready to host the quarantine. The government decision has been made, just like upcoming decisions will be made depending on the dynamics, because we are not a country like China to allocate funding in advance and these funds are earmarked for food and the infrastructure of two more buildings within the Army Holiday House compound. But instead of hawk-like look upon the health system and the work we are all trying to do, you better join us, learn more about our scenarios, plans and all premeditated steps, render your opinion, because this is a war and nothing is revealed in advance in a war, because the scenarios vary, the dynamics change and different countries have had various experiences. There are algorithms on which work is underway to build resistance models and all these details are not to be made available to the media, but to be used in this fight for the health and lives of the ordinary people.
That’s why I am inviting everyone to join us and together cope with situation, since there is no need for many task forces, but there is a need for exchanges that I am forced to call for today, because it doesn’t hurt me personally, but it hurts the hearts and poisons the mind of an entire nation, when finding out that some one million plus expired and dangerous face masks have been distributed, while only now due funds are being provided in order to start the preparations for the quarantine. It hurts a lot. It is one of the actions of defamation that hurts an entire nation. My invitation is very sincere I do not intend to answer to such allegations, unless, I pray to God, for the good of all these people, such monstrosities show up again that I wish to be merely the inertia of an irresponsible approach in peacetime. But if irresponsibility hurts in peacetime, it actually inflicts casualties in wartime.
On the other hand, I am glad that every Task Force is praising the health personnel for the sacrifices, courage and resistance. But is this appraisal worth when the health personnel are told that these face masks is lethal to you? The health personnel, thanks God, are an extraordinary one. It is them who have always proved their worth when disasters have befallen us. It was them who proved their worth when we were affected by a great disaster like the Nov 26 earthquake. It is them who will and are proving themselves worth again.
Today, as planned, we have decided to provide a EUR 1000 cash award per month to entire health personnel, including doctors, nurses and health professionals, and a cash award of 500 euros to each sanitary and ambulance driver who are deployed to the frontline of the war against the coronavirus.
On the other hand there are some prominent and respected figures of Albanian medicine and this is the time when knowledge, experience and thoughtfulness are the most valuable asset. Some of these prominent doctors who are still very dynamic, healthy fit and very strong, even though they have already retired, are also invited to contribute to this fight and they too will be paid 1000 euros plus their pension payment. By mentioning the word “war” repeatedly, I don’t want to exaggerate the threat of this outbreak, but it is capable of killing people, just like an enemy. This virus is an enemy and we must do our best to confront it as such and kill it.
What else it could be, but a war if in the neighbouring country, Italy, everything has been shut down, except groceries and drug stores? What else is open at wartime? What soldiers in the frontline are provided with during wartime? Food and medicines alone. Nothing else. And a place to sleep. But in order to prevent a potential scenario with the drug stores and groceries the only services open and available to citizens, I would issue an appeal to everyone and it is up to me to call for maximum understanding and I am saying I am the first person to match words with actions, although you don’t closely monitor me, but I obey the rules. I call on everyone to obey the rules, because if one decided to kill his own self, state is obliged to stop him from doing so. But this is a situation with everybody is playing both with himself and others, his father and mother, brother and sister, when ignoring an enemy that has neither ears, nor eyes, or heart, but it is a blind force that breaks into you and kneels you down, just like it is happening with such a big and strong country with an excellent health system, or just like it is the case everywhere else around the world.
It is a completely different story whether this disease may be cured, because the recovery rate is extremely positive, but the world and we cannot afford and accept even a small number of deaths, without serving and doing utmost efforts to save them and make sure we do not somehow become accomplices in their murder by hugging or shaking hands in closed environment with people, or by going to discos, gyms or other normal daily life spaces that should be actually abandoned at wartime. That’s why we will close down every pub, disco, gyms and other gathering places. We will close them to put health first.
I repeat once again, it fell to me play this role with you and play the policeman, the parent, and the bad simultaneously, but you have to understand it’s not my wish to be in this position, but I’m telling you this is the thing I have to do. The contacts here in this building have been limited for everyone. The today’s meeting and future meetings we may convene are now rare and it is not the case to enforce and obey the rules, because it is necessary to restrict necessary, but not vital movements as we struggle to protect the lives of our dear people.
It is not a war that would last for years, but a war where each minute is equal to one-year time. It requires strong will and discipline. For this reason, starting tomorrow, all public administration employees will be sent home to go on working via their personal computers at home.
For this reason, starting tomorrow, all applications and public services will be delivered online only.
For this reason, the Agency for the Delivery of Integrated Services (ADISA) will be shut down and all services will be delivered online only.
For this reason, all parents of small children and who do not work in the public administration will be sent home to look after their kids and limit contact with other people as much as possible. It is by no means the best thing, or a pleasurable thing that could happen to us, especially us Albanians who do not live to work, but work to live, but it is something that we must face in a serious and dignified manner, with everyone contributing to their families and whole society.
Hospital consultations will be performed according to the scenario and “war plan” operations for all chronically ill patients, or all other cases when National Emergency decides, because the fight against other diseases won’t stop now that coronavirus cases are confirmed. There are other people needing care and we will provide care to everyone, but this is a state of war. You know very well that I would like to go and give a hug to everyone. I would love to be day – night everywhere and deliver this message, but the enemy has set us this limit and if I were to play the role of a courageous man and hug everyone, I would then become a “murderer”. The more seriously and the more quietly we observe these difficult and outrageous restrictions, the more each and every one of us would provide a precious contribution to this fight.
It is equally important to make it clear for everyone that no ban has been imposed on all goods. Air and ferry traffic to Italy has been banned after whole Italy was declared a red zone, but no restrictions have been imposed on imports and exports, which means that there are no food problems and there is no need for everyone to rush and buy food. All groceries and drug stores will remain open. Me poshte vijon pjesa e dyte e materialit nga mbledhja e qeverise lidhur me masat kunder COVID-19:

Bars and restaurants won’t be closed at this stage, yet it is vitally important that bars and restaurants make sure that the reduce number of tables and arrange them in a two-meter distance from each other. We haven’t invented this. I would have wished to never utter such things that would sound ridiculous at normal times, but what I am saying is actually extremely serious. It is like trying to dodge a bullet. It is exactly the same. Fines should not be the first thing we should think of. Other democratic countries, even EU member states have imposed staggering fines. In the Czech Republic, for example a 100,000 euros fine is imposed and house is confiscated if someone dares to walk out of his or her house if arriving from an affected country.
But we are all aware of the strong need to be united. There is a need here for everyone to do his or her job. We will do our job. I will personally do my job, both as Prime Minister, as an individual, as a parent and as the son of an ailing mother. But sanctions will certainly be applied, because when you are told that you have been arriving from a coronavirus affected country and when asked whether you have contacted anyone – I already said earlier that 8 out the total of 10 people who have contracted the virus were infected by the patient zero – then you should certainly tell the truth if you respect yourself and your family members. Israel has quarantined as many as 100, 000 people in their homes for 14 days and if they dare to go out they are sent to prison. I believe we will understand each other and respect life and rights of the most vulnerable ones, so that we protect them. It is true that older and people with underlying conditions and chronically ill patients are at greatest risk from coronavirus, but we can make no joke. Fear, at all! While caution, yes!
Fear is the worst advisor, because statistics show, including Italy’s statistics too, in terms of population and the number of affected people, their number is a small one. The majority of people will be unaware whether they have contracted coronavirus, but still they can transmit it to others. And if not infected you have no reason to dial the emergency number 127, but when infected you can spread it to others and the virus keeps spreading until one of the 20 percent of the infected people starts showing early symptoms. Unfortunately, this person ends up in hospital.
I don’t want to reiterate what I already said earlier when talking about the task forces and stuff like that and I am looking forward to having no need to resume such a political fight again until this situation is over. If they have concerns to raise, if they have other allegations to make, please collect them all and let them say everything they want once this enemy is gone. What kind of contribution such allegations offer as long as the enemy is here? It serves nobody, but the enemy, the people’s discouragement, panic, insecurity and inappropriate conducts when it comes to obeying some rules that everyone should observe.
According to the scenario, things will pursue an upward trajectory. According to the calculations we have made based on the WHO algorithms and the countries that analyze each other’s case study to figure out the virus conduct here and there and which measures should be put in place, more restrictions will be imposed during the upward trajectory, as well as the sanctions against those who are unwilling to understand that is not about paying taxes or do not violate traffic regulations otherwise you face a fine.
I would like to express deep respect for the work being done by the Ministry of Health teams and experts. We will go on with the rest of this meeting to make some decisions we have agreed on. But I would like to reiterate that your children are not at risk, but being in contact with other persons outside your houses they may carry the virus and transmit it to other family members, grandmothers and grandfathers in particular. Young boys and girls who are in their right to go out and entertain every evening, should know that night parties themed “We don’t care about coronavirus” took place in Milan, just like aerobic shows were staged in gyms.
These are not the right thing to do, but on the contrary they pose a serious threat to everyone.
Last appeal to everyone.
You may never find out once you had contracted coronavirus. 80% of the people will never find out it as they will show no symptoms of whatsoever, yet they can infect many other people. Even you may not manifest any symptom, the disease symptoms may show at someone else who might be the weakest link.
This is the reason why it is not about how courageous or brave you are, but how aware and ready to sacrifice a certain lifestyle you lead and place yourselves in this part of the huge front of the war against an invisible enemy.
Of course, we may be forced to go too far when it comes to the relation with the media to make sure that there are no sources of alternative facts, because facts are one, while opinions and thoughts are an alternative and this is not the case for one to render opinions on issues that are strictly limited to the area of a small group of people, experts and health authorities. Therefore, I would invite the media to make the best of it so that calm and determination, information and readiness prevail over panic, uncertainty and so on and so forth.
I repeat, there is no room for fear. If my today’s message differed from the previous messages, this is because tomorrow will be a day quite different from other days and this is the only way we can win this war.
Thank you very much. We will follow the dynamics and other decisions will be made.
No one should be surprised by the number of new cases, because these figures are predicted and we will have neither 10 nor 20 nor 30, but many more coronavirus cases, but what is important is what we will do to increase solidarity and how much we will help each other to psychologically ease a war like this, which is first won psychologically, then the next battle, that on the front line, is that of medical personnel and all health teams that need solidarity, support and positive energies.
Thank you!
The Minister of Health and Social Protection Sociale Ogerta Manastirliu announced new measures to fight the spread of COVID-19:
– Pension payment will be delivered cost-free to every retired person starting this month until this situation is over.
– Mass gathering of people in public spaces is prohibited and distance from person to person should be no shorter than one meter.
– Service facilities, discos, bars, night clubs, youth entertainment centres, social centres, gyms and water pools will be closed to the public until April 3.
-Contacts in public and non-public residential institutions should be limited.
– Restaurants and bars should provide services to citizens by respecting an at least 2-meter distance between tables.
– Postal service bodies should ensure continuity of the mail service and prepare a range of measures to avoid contact between staff and the public.
– Private employers should take measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Avoid contact with the public if the service can be provided online.
All citizens, private companies are invited to adhere to the abovementioned measures, adapt the routine to these measures so as not to endanger themselves and others until the end of this period that we hope will not last long.