The Government reviewed on Tuesday the recommendations of the Commission for Infectious Diseases for compulsory wearing of masks or protective equipment outdoors, indoors, in the workplace, in public and private transport, ban for family gatherings and groups of more than four in public areas after 10 p.m.

The Government concluded that the realization of these recommendations requires changes in the Law on protection of the population from communicable diseases.

The law changes are aimed at preventing the emergence, early detection, prevention of the spread and uprooting of communicable diseases and infections, rights and obligations of health institutions, natural persons and legal entities, oversight of measures’ implementation, towards protecting the population from communicable diseases, the Government said in a press release.

The Government also adopted the report on concluding an agreement with the Global Alliance Vaccine Initiative (GAVI) over the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility, which has been set up to ensure a global and equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, regulated by the World Health Organization.

The Government has asked the Public Procurement Bureau to put forward the most appropriate way to realize this procurement and authorized Health Minister Venko Filipche to sign the agreement with GAVI for procurement of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility, and ensure the required funds, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the Government’s General Secretariat, for the advance payment and financial guarantee in accordance with the agreement, reads the press release.