Press statement by Dr. Marjeta Dervishi, Public Health Institute:

As part of the daily coronavirus briefing, we inform you that work is underway on the ground to identify new Covid-19 cases and track down contacts of the confirmed cases tested positive for the virus.

Tests were conducted on 233 suspected individuals, out of which 13 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours.

So far, tests have been conducted on 3877 suspected cases and 446 of them have tested positive for the Covid-19.

A total of 23 citizens have lost the battle with this disease so far despite the incredible efforts of the health personnel.

Twenty more patients have recovered in the past 24 hours, bringing the total of recovered Covid-19 patients in Albania to 217.

As the recovery graph for patients infected with the novel coronavirus COVID-19 by age group shows, the recovered patients belong to all age groups.

We inform you that out of the total of 41 patients being treated at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, six are under intensive care and two patients are intubated.

Eight patients are being treated at “Shefqet Ndroqi” University Hospital, the second Covid-19-only patient hospital in the country, six of them in intensive care and five intubated.

A total of 49 patients are currently being treated at both hospitals.

The map of Covid-19 infected people expanded further with 6 new cases in Tirana, 5 in Shkodra and two more new cases in the city of Durres. The majority of the detected cases in the past 24 hours are close contacts of the previously confirmed cases, whereas efforts to track down contacts of the confirmed cases tested positive for the virus continues.

Currently, the geographical distribution of the infected patients across Albania is as follows:

– Tirana            215 cases

– Durres           41 cases

– Lushnja          6 cases

– Elbasan          15 cases

– Fier                32 cases

– Kavaja           8 cases

– Rrogozhina     4 cases

– Korça               17 cases

– Vlora                5 cases

– Shkodra           57 cases

– Lezha               14 cases

– Berat                2 cases

– Has                   12 cases

– Kruja                 6 cases

-Tropoja              4 cases

– Puka                  5 cases

– Mirdita              3 cases

The Ministry of Health and Social Protection once again urges citizens to respect the social distancing measures as the only way to successfully cope with this challenge. It is equally important that measures to curb the spread of the infection are fully respected within the family circle by avoiding visits to the relatives for whatever reason.

The Ministry of Health appeals citizens to dial the National Emergency Line 127 if they suspect about Covid-19 symptoms. For any question or information about Covid-19, dial green line 0800 40 40.