NEWS OF THE DAY: Home isolation that was mandatory after state quarantine has been lifted
Travellers from foreign countries entering the territory of North Macedonia, after the period of 21 days or 14 days in mandatory state quarantine, will no longer be referred to additional home isolation, was decided at today’s 55th government session.
Public city transportation to and from the Municipality of Kumanovo is being normalized, after the government today accepted the proposal of the Main Coordination Headquarters, based on the opinion of the Committee for Infectious Diseases.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
In the past 24 hours, 533 tests have been carried out and 22 new COVID-19 cases have been registered: Skopje-8, Stip-2, Prilep-2, Tetovo-3, Struga-1, Veles-4, Sveti Nikole-1 and Gostivar-1. Of the number of tests performed, 203 are within the screening in kindergartens in Veles and Skopje, and all are negative.
So far, a total number of 22.255 tests have been performed for COVID-19. Today the Institute for Public Health registered 50 recovered patients and two patients have died.
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Minister of Health Venko Filipce on his FB profile thanked all COVID-19 recovered patients who have donated plasma for treatment of those who are infected.
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“The coronavirus will most probably have a second wave, show all recent studies, but also the experience of other epidemics. We are preparing for this in accordance with the consultations we have with multiple countries, with the WHO, but also with individual cases of several countries. We are starting a large investment in the healthcare system and we have strengthened the intensive care units across the country. We are preparing for the second wave of the virus in fall, and we will be prepared for it in order to protect the health of the citizens”, outlined Minister of Health Venko Filipce at today’s press conference.
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In the past 24 hours, 59 people have disobeyed the ban on movement. The police has detained 46 of them, and appropriate measures have been announced for the rest.
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Of the 908 tests performed so far on employees in the kindergartens in Bitola, Skopje and Veles, only one positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed, in Bitola.
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Activities for disinfection and sanitization of children and baby’s mattresses in all kindergartens in the Municipality of Center, today was announced by Mayor Sasa Bogdanovic and representatives of the company “Clean Max”.
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The government at today’s session accepted the proposal for normalization of the public city and intercity transportation to and from the Municipality of Kumanovo, announced Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski on his Facebook profile.
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In today’s health bulletin for newly infected patients with coronavirus, a case has been noted also from Sveti Nikole, but this afternoon the Municipal Crisis Headquarters informed that Sveti Nikole is further successfully managing the spread of the virus, and that today’s case is from the neighbouring smaller Municipality of Lozovo.
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The Gostivar local self-government has started preparations for opening the kindergartens. According to Mayor Arben Taravari, the first step is screening of the employees in the kindergartens and centers on early childhood development. The testing is to be carried out on May 25 and 26.
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The Ministry of Economy, as competent for the hospitality sector, respects all proposals and recommendations of the Committee for Infectious Diseases. Depending on the recommendations of the Committee, the Government will have discussions and will make an appropriate decision on when the hospitality facilities will start to work, said today Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi.
FLASH NEWS:
“Today we reaffirmed our resolve to continue and deepen our cooperation with a view to mitigate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and lay the groundwork for the region’s recovery”, is written in the joint statement following the second Thessaloniki 2020 Ministerial Forum of Foreign Ministers of North Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
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“The Republic of North Macedonia this year is the best in the region in regards to the recommendations of the European Commission for the Economic Reform Program, for the period May 2019 – January 2020, which refer to the reform measures for strengthening the financial stability and creating jobs. In addition, the European Commission is positively assessing our policies for dealing with the corona crisis”, announced the Ministry of Finance.
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“To help everyone in the need of assistance, dynamic growth and building a new developing Macedonian economy based on innovative solutions, these were the principles that we followed together with the Economic Council of SDSM in creating the third proposed set of economic measures. I welcome the government’s decision to adopt a large part of our proposed measures”, said today SDSM leader Zoran Zaev.
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SDSM leader Zoran Zaev today stated that there is room for talks with the opposition on a date for early parliamentary elections until the state of emergency is over, in the following seven to ten days, but if a solution is not found, then the constitutional provisions and legal deadlines will have to be respected and have elections, where he is convinced he will win.
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Journalist Miroslava Burns has demanded an apology and withdrawal of the text of the portal “dokazimakedonija.mk” (proofmacedonia.mk), published under the title “Fat Miroslava wants to make money from the European Union on the back of Proof”, as the text contains a series of slanders and insults that harm her honour and reputation. But instead of an apology and withdrawal of the text, journalist Burns received from the portal Dokaz (Proof) “go to…”, that is, the published “denial” contains much hate speech and sexism.
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VMRO-DPMNE and Hristijan Mickoski are constantly buying time, constantly looking for new excuses to run away from the election confrontation, when the elections are most convenient for the citizens and the state, and above all, from a health, economic and democratic aspect, assessed SDSM Secretary General Ljupco Nikolovski in today’s guest appearance in “Morning Briefing”.
А. Petrovska
Translation: N. Cvetkovska
