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 trace contacts of the cases tested positive for the virus.

Tests were conducted on 216 suspected individuals, out of which 29 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours.

So far, tests have been conducted on 2247 suspected cases and 333 of them have tested positive for the COVID-19. The average age of people who have tested positive for the COVID-19 is 50 years.

A 67-year-old man from Tirana who had tested positive for the coronavirus previously died this morning. The patient had been hospitalized in the last 13 days and had been intubated for six days, while also being under haemodialysis treatment at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, but the 67-year-old man passed away despite the efforts of the medical personnel.

The Ministry of Health and Social Protection extends condolences to the family of the deceased.

A total of 18 COVID-19-related deaths have been recorded to date in Albania.

The good news is that 10 patients have recovered in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recovered COVID-19 patients to 99.

We inform you that out of the total of 66 hospitalized patients at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, six are under intensive care, one of whom is intubated, while the rest of the patients remain in stable condition.

At the COVID 2 Hospital, five are hospitalized while two are intubated.

A total of 71 patients are currently being treated for the COVID-19 infection at the two hospitals.

The geographical distribution of the infected patients across Albania has further expanded in Tirana, Durres, Elbasan Has, Lushnja, Kavaja, Lezha, and Shkodra.

The geographical distribution of the infected patients across country is as follows:

 

– Tirana          157 cases

– Durres          33 cases

– Lushnja        5 cases

– Elbasan         9 cases

– Fier                25 cases

– Kavaja          8 cases

– Rrogozhina 4 cases

– Korça           16 cases

– Vlora            5 cases

– Shkodra       31 cases

– Lezha           14 cases

– Berat            1 case

– Has              9 cases

– Kruja            5 cases

-Tropoja        4 cases

– Puka            4 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 the 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.