March 23, 2020 - An additional 19 patient samples were analyzed in Montenegro today, with suspected COVID-19 infection, 5 of which were positive. Three new-infected are associated with existing cases. At the moment, we have a total of 27 confirmed patients with the new coronavirus, one of whom yesterday lost his battle with this disease.
"There are 5,863 people under health surveillance in Montenegro, and 763 people are in institutional quarantines," the Institute for Public Health of Montenegro announced on its official website tonight.
WHO: Full support for numerous measures Montenegro takes to protect public health
President of the National Coordination Body Milutin Simović informed Regional Director of the World Health Organisation for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, and Head of the WHO Country Office in Montenegro, Mina Brajović, about the measures taken by Montenegro to protect public health in confronting the COVID-19.
Dr. Kluge voiced his full support for the content and dynamics of the comprehensive and numerous measures taken.
Deputy Prime Minister Simović recognized that the health system's response management capacity is an area, which requires more intensive expert assistance of the WHO.
Director Kluge expressed his full readiness to expand cooperation and announced that he would immediately appoint an operational team to communicate with the Montenegrin team to take daily measures to limit the spread of the virus and preserve the lives and well-being of the citizens of Montenegro.
Therefore, Director Kluge recalled the importance of measures to detect, treat, isolate, and monitor contacts that are vital for breaking the chain of infection. He especially highlighted the significance of equipping hospital facilities with a particular emphasis on protecting health professionals as a crucial link in the fight against the pandemic and praised the timeliness and content of the measures taken by Montenegro. He pointed out that actions are never too many in circumstances of a pandemic when every country and every individual is under threat.
The Deputy Prime Minister discussed possibilities of cooperation with the WHO in the implementation of the EU support, aimed at strengthening the capacity of responding to COVID-19.
Director Kluge suggested Montenegro, as a country with remarkable results in dealing with COVID19, to launch a regional initiative at the level of heads of government, in cooperation with the WHO.
"Montenegro is pleased to accept the role of the initiator and host of numerous regional initiatives and will be happy to do so on this proposal, especially bearing in mind that we have already taken steps towards this direction," DPM Simović concluded.
Over 2 million donations to fight COVID-19 in Montenegro
Over EUR 2 million in donations have been paid into the account of the National Coordination Body for Communicable Diseases in less than five days.
Namely, out of 483 donations from the country and abroad, i.e., EUR 2.224.140,34, were collected by 23 March, at 2 pm.
