The number of new COVID-19 cases and fatalities is dropping, shows a weekly report of the Public Health Institute. Out of 2,518 tests, 444 new cases were reported on Tuesday and the number of recoveries has been doubling.
The capital Skopje tops the list of newly-diagnosed cases with almost a half of the 444 cases yesterday being recorded there.
Infections are recorded in all age groups, but the those over 60 are most affected. Only a few cases were registered among children under 9.
A total of 608 patients who tested positive or are suspected of contracting the coronavirus are treated in hospitals in the country, the Ministry of Health has said adding that there are beds available for new admissions.
On Tuesday, Health Minister Venko Filipche said that negotiations are under way for the country to procure 200,000 doses of the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine. He said details about the contract, price and rollout will be known by the end of the week, stressing he doesn’t question the quality of the vaccines produced by Chinese manufacturers.
The National eHealth System will play a key role in the vaccination process, which should kick off in February, according to Filipche.
Vaccination was also the focal point of talks in Brussels of Deputy PM Nikola Dimitrov and FM Bujar Osmani with Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
The EU has made available EUR 70 million, out of which EUR 8 million will be allocated to North Macedonia, to cover the costs of some of the doses and purchase necessary equipment for vaccination, Borrell’s office has said.
However, non-EU countries are yet to receive vaccines, despite promises made by the Union and the COVAX facility.
Orders from pharmaceutical companies to member states have also been delayed, but the EU hopes that once they get doses for second round of vaccination, the process for delivering vaccines to third countries will speed up.
