Albania has recorded its highest number of deaths from COVID-19 within a 24-hour period, Health Ministry figures showed on Tuesday. The 7 deaths reported on Tuesday exceed the previous record since the beginning of pandemic.

The country has recorded a total of 487 deaths and 19729 infections from the coronavirus Health Ministry informed.

The number of new daily infections and deaths has increased sharply in the past week following the opening of schools and indoors of bar and restaurants.

The victims are a 50-year-old nurse from Elbasan, a 64-year-old doctor from Lushnja, a 61-year-old, a 62-year-old and a 76-year-old from Tirana, a 78-year-old from Fier, an 81-year-old from Mirdita with concomitant diseases.

Meanwhile, 285 people have turned out positive for the SARS-CoV-2 as 1.278 tests have been performed in the last 24 hours. Capital Tirana remains to area with the highest concentration of infections, with 119 fresh cases followed by Shkodra with 29, Durrës with 26, Vlora with 13, Pogradec with 12 and Korça with 11 cases.

On the bright note, 103 citizens have healed from the infectious disease, bringing to 10.808 the number of recoveries in the country since the beginning of the epidemic. Fortunately, this number is higher than the day before, when 52 nationals recovered from the COVID-19.

For the time being, the Infectious Diseases Hospital and "Shefqet Ndroqi" Hospital is treating 285 patients, 15 in intensive therapy, and 9 of the latter are intubated. Considering the situation, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection appeals to citizens to wear the mask in open spaces outside the home, in order to minimize the spread of infection.

“The face mask/protective barrier helps reduce in the lowering of spread of the infection in the community by minimizing its transmission through sprays from infected individuals. The use of a protective barrier should only be considered as a complementary measure and not as a substitute for preventive measures. It should be applied together with a physical distance of 1.5 - 2 m and hand hygiene”, highlighted the Health Ministry.