The Government is to hold an online session on Tuesday to adopt new set of measures recommended by the Commission for Infectious Diseases in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus after the country has been recording a spike in new cases.

It involves a ban on large family gatherings indoors as well as gatherings in public spaces of more than four people after 10 pm, and mandatory use of face masks outdoors and in closed public spaces.

Masks, however, are not obligatory during sporting activities indoors or outdoors, during transportation of members of one household in a private vehicle, in restaurants and bars if health safety measures are in place and in workspaces if workers are in the premises alone. Children under 6 are exempted from the mask wearing measure.

Health Minister Venko Filipche announced the proposed restrictions on Thursday (October 8), after the country saw a spike in new cases the day before with 317 new infections in 24 hours. According to him, a large percent of the new cases comes as a result of family gatherings.

Asked about controls in terms of number of people at family gatherings indoors, Filipche said he expects citizens to be aware of the risk of large groups of people indoors.

“Police, inspectors could always intervene, but it is important in the period ahead that citizens are aware and avoid large family gatherings,” Filipche told a press conference.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Sunday that today’s session will be held online, even though unlike in the Parliament, there are no people infected or showing symptoms in the Government.

“Following recommendations by Minister Filipche and the Commission for Infectious Diseases, the Government is to hold its sessions online,” Zaev said, adding that he expects the Parliament to also take such a reasonable decision seeing that two MPs are already infected.

In addition, the Government is to revise in the coming days the decision on entry of nationals of Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia-Herzegovina to North Macedonia without a PCR test, in line with developments in the COVID-19 situation in the region.

Due to coronavirus cases on the rise in the region, Serbia, Montenegro, and Bosnia-Herzegovina late Sunday suspended a decision, so a negative PCR test requirement when traveling to these countries remains in place. For the time being, Macedonian nationals can only travel to Kosovo, Albania and Turkey without a PCR test.

Until the Government reciprocally revises the decision, nationals of ex-YU countries outside the EU can enter North Macedonia without a PCR test.