Ambulances in Albania's Infectious Diseases Service are waiting for hours in hospital ward before they’re allowed to drop off patients — because the hospitals can’t find any spare beds.

Albania's covid hospitals, which are struggling to treat hundreds of people infected with the coronavirus, simply can’t find beds due to the high number of infected cases. 

The Infectious Diseases Hospital and "Shefqet Ndroqi" are at the limits of capacity exhaustion, while COVID-3 has some free beds, according to the authorities. 

All patients are screened and stabilized when they arrive. The hospital prioritizes patients with the most serious medical conditions.

490 new cases of coronavirus were detected in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infected to 26,701.

In the last 24 hours 7 people have lost their lives: a 47-year-old from Vlora, a 63-year-old, a 70-year-old and a 72-year-old from Tirana, a 70-year-old and a 71-year-old from Durrës, an 83-year-old from Elbasan.