April 7, 2020 - Figures released by the Public Health Institute show that there has been a total of 241 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Montenegro. In the last 24 hours, 183 samples were analyzed with the outcome of eight new COVID-19 patients coming from Podgorica (4), Niksic (2), Bar (1), and Tuzi (1).
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Five newly diagnosed patients are contacts of previously registered cases, while one patient looks for a source of infection.
There are 19 coronavirus patients admitted to the Clinical Center of Montenegro. Three are being placed on a ventilator, Jevto Erakovic, MD, head of the Clinical Center.
“Three COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospital yesterday. We hope to discharge five more by the end of the week,” he said.
COVID-19 cases by municipalities are:
Podgorica: 119
Tuzi: 35
Nikšić: 30
Bar: 20
Ulcinj: 9
Andrijevica: 7
Bijelo Polje: 6
Herceg Novi: 6
Budva: 4
Danilovgrad: 3
Tivat: 2
Institute of Health 5 pm briefing: Latest updates on the pandemic
The Institute of Public Health’s director Dr. Boban Mugosa says new cases indicate people are not following recommendations on social distancing and that the population must abandon old habits.
Mugosa says the only way to prevent the spread of the virus, is for people to tell themselves to remain at home to protect themselves, their families, their community and society by obeying the experts and authorities.
Mugosa says any poor behavior carries a risk, so he again called on the construction companies to obey the measures. IJZ director says that recently persons living in the same residential building have been tested as positive, which indicates that they got infected by mutual contact or the spread of the virus on the surfaces in the building.
Deputy Director Dr. Senad Begic says that at the moment, there are 25 known COVID-19 clusters in Montenegro or 25 groups of infected people with the same source of infection.
For 24 patients, the source of infection remains unknown, and epidemiological research is being carried out.
COVID-19 crisis provoke a violation of human rights and freedoms
Since the coronavirus outbreak in Montenegro, the defender of human rights and liberties got more than 100 phone calls of citizens, mostly complaining about the violation of the provisions of the law concerning firing. Complains mainly refer to firing women who are on maternity leave – and generally, on the National Coordination Team’s temporary measures against COVID-19, defender of human rights and freedoms in Montenegro, Mr. Siniša Bjeković, told Pobjeda daily.
“Since mid-March, we have recorded an increase in requests that more or less concern the temporary measures and procedures during the pandemic,” Mr. Bjeković said. He noted that most concerns are coming about self-isolation, quarantine, movement limitations, separation from families, basic human needs, the functioning of the system of social and health protection.
The number of citizens’ addresses has decreased compared to the previous period, he added, while the pandemic and its risks greatly affected the manner of work of the institution he has been leading.
According to him, it’s not possible to speak solely about the health consequences of the pandemic in the situation when limitations deeply affect the social and economic side of the society, as well as “exercising of civic and political rights.”
“If you take a closer look at the measures and recommendations taken by the National Coordination Team, you’ll see they refer not only to rules of behavior during the pandemic, but also the economic, social and other mechanisms for mitigating the pandemic consequences,” Mr. Bjeković underlined.
No masks at pharmacies
Although the authorities suggest wearing masks, they are difficult for citizens to access. There are no state and most private pharmacies, some from tailors.
The state-owned Montefarm, as well as some other pharmacies in Podgorica, told TV News that they hoped the problem would be resolved soon, and those in charge believe that a certain amount will soon be on the market.
In the meantime, some countries, such as Turkey and Austria, have provided free masks to citizens, and some are considering mandatory use of them in public places, especially when they begin to loosen restrictions on movement.
COVID-19 crises affect ENI-Novatek oil and gas research in Montenegrin aquatics
Next weeks, as well as the development of epidemiological situations related to COVID-19 in our country and worldwide, will affect the dynamics of oil and gas research probes in the Adriatic Sea, the Hydrocarbon Administration told Dnevne Novine daily.
As they explained, many subcontractors that take part in the drilling now are not able to come to Montenegro.
“Even though a large number of activities referring to research and production of oil and gas in Montenegro is being done normally, no one can guarantee it will be the case in the future. Representatives of big U.S. service companies that are supposed to set up their offices in MNE cannot do that right now,” the Hydrocarbon Administration noted.
The Italian-Russian consortium Eni and Novatek did the first undersea oil and gas probe performed in late 2018.
It’s hard to say whether the research will be suspended until further notice, according to the Hydrocarbon Administration.
Source: Insititute of Public Health, Pobjeda Daily, Dnevne novine Daily, Vijesti Online, CDM English
