Re-implementing “social distancing” and the measures put in place during the period of lockdown might be the only means of breaking the chains of transmission of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) in the event of a new wave, said Albania’s deputy health minister, Mira Rakacolli.

She said that we should not refer to the examples of other countries, but monitor day by day what is happening inside the country, adding that Albania is very close to the red line and that experts will be forced to propose austerity measures.

“Number of cases is given every day, people see them. Yesterday we witnessed a record number of infected as well as the number of hospitalized. This is a predictable situation. This is happening all over the globe. It is a normal course of the epidemic. The numbers are growing, thankfully not as fast as in Italy, France and Spain, but this upward trend continues to make us wary of taking action.

Closure depends on ourselves. We all need to be together, only then can we defeat this virus.

We have 550 beds only for Covid in Tirana. We want to do the best possible capacity management and we also plan to open hospitals,” Rakacolli declared.