April 21, 2020 - As of yesterday’s final count, one new case of COVID-19 has been registered in Montenegro, raising the total to 313 cases. The latest patient is from Budva and can be traced to a previously recorded COVID-19 case.
NKT agreed to lift some measures
As announced yesterday, Montenegro is beginning to ease the restrictive measures imposed on citizens.As announced yesterday, Montenegro is beginning to ease the restrictive measures imposed on citizens. The National Coordination Body for Infectious Diseases, NKT, has agreed today to mitigate specific temporary measures taken to protect the health and lives of Montenegro citizens, stated the Government. Citizens from now may leave their homes until 11 pm every day.
Stores that were allowed shorter operating hours can adjust them now until 10 pm on working days and Saturdays as well.
“The NKT agreed that citizens could do outdoor activities individually, such as running, jogging, etc. but it’s mandatory to practice distancing and abide by all other preventive measures, especially physical distance,” the Government added.
They also agreed to lift coronavirus lockdown measures in the town of Tuzi, i.e., its residents from now on have to abide by the same rules as residents of other municipalities.
“Also, residents of Tuzi can travel to Podgorica, as the capital, Tuzi, and Danilovgrad are perceived as a whole, “the govt stressed.
They also warned that the dangers of the coronavirus haven’t passed, and it’s still necessary to adhere to all prescribed measures.
The third package of economic measures will depend on the situation
The third package of the Government’s rules to support citizens and the economy amid the coronavirus crisis will depend on the development of the situation. Besides short-term measures, the next package will focus on the creation of a favorable environment for the recovery of our economy and the realization of long-term effects following the epidemic. We still don’t know the details of the next package of measures. Therefore, we cannot make any estimation of their fiscal impact, Bojan Paunović, Managing Director of the Budget Directorate in the Ministry of Finance, told Pobjeda daily.
Várhelyi: Fiscal position of Montenegro will deteriorate due to COVID-19 crises
It is to expect that the fiscal situation of Montenegro will deteriorate due to the coronavirus crisis, the EU enlargement commissioner, Olivér Várhelyi, noted.
Concerning the €800 million debt of Montenegro for the construction of the motorway, Várhelyi said that not so long time ago repayment debt risks seemed rather low. He emphasized the govt used the last year’s favorable market conditions to ensure deposits and thus cover the country’s financing needs for the next two years, RTCG portal reported.
“However, it is expected that the financial position of Montenegro will significantly deteriorate due to the coronavirus crisis. Therefore, the Commission keeps monitoring this issue closely.”
Conte accepted Markovic’s offer to host older people from Italy after COVID-19 pandemic
Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte accepted the offer of his Montenegrin counterpart, Duško Marković, offering to host older people of Italy, especially Lombardy province, on our coast once this whole situation gets better.
“We support Italy and the most vulnerable categories in their personal and social recovery. We especially appreciate the fact that Italy, even during the worst COVID-19 crisis, offered it assistance, i.e., to transport medical equipment to Montenegro through NATO,” PM Marković shared a tweet.
Source: CDM English
