September 17, 2020 - Local transmission of COVID-19 infection in Montenegro is not waning. After yesterday's 230 new cases, the Institute of Public Health registered another 212 new COVID-19 patients today. In the last two days, six people have died as a result of coronavirus infection. Currently, 2482 cases of COVID-19 are active in Montenegro.
The National Coordination Body for Infectious Diseases (NKT) has decided not to introduce new epidemiological rules for the time being, but to initiate additional mechanisms of the strictest control of compliance with the already prescribed counter- COVID-19 measures. Also, the NKT decided to provide direct professional assistance to medical institutions in municipalities with a high level of local coronavirus transmission.
"Competent inspection bodies at the state and local level are obliged to start all available human and technical capacities immediately. All inspection services are engaged in one task: control of compliance with epidemiological measures and sanctioning violations of regulations."
The NKT requires the competent inspection bodies at the state and local level the highest possible efficiency and concrete results immediately.
The National Coordination Body has decided to send members of the Crisis Medical Staff to all municipalities, and first to those that are most endangered by the level of local transmission, to provide professional assistance to health institutions. "
They appealed to the citizens to respect epidemiological measures - first of all, to wear protective masks on every prescribed occasion and to keep physical distance, as well as to practice hand hygiene as often as possible.
"The increase in local transmission must be stopped before the start of the school year, which in itself poses an additional epidemiological challenge. An alternative to insufficient compliance is further restrictions. The only way to avoid this is to discipline each individual."
Popović Samardžić: The COVID-19 epidemic is becoming more complex, it is necessary to react urgently
Epidemiologist and president of the Union of Medical Doctors of Montenegro, Milena Popović Samardžić, said that the epidemiological situation in Montenegro is becoming more complex, going according to an ugly scenario. Still, if we adhere to the measures in force, the problem could improve in two months.
"It's as if there is no National Coordination Body, institutions, as if everything is frozen, that's my feeling. We all need to ask ourselves what we can do to make this situation better, starting with the institutions. The simplest and most effective way to fight COVID-19 is to wear a mask. If we follow all the recommendations, we should improve the situation for two months ", said Dr Popović Samardžić as a guest in "Boje Jutra" on TV Vijesti.
Due to the growing number of sick and hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the doctor points out that it is necessary to introduce more drastic measures as soon as possible.
"We have to close catering facilities, gyms, casinos, to control the public gathering of young people. I ask people to wear masks indoors to make a distance. Young people bring the virus home ", said Dr Popović Samardžić, reports the Vijesti portal.
The epidemiologist points out that it is necessary to create an expert council as soon as possible that knows the strategy, a body that citizens will trust.
Dr Popović Samardžić says that there is no communication between health workers, that the Institute of Public Health keeps information to itself, and that she does not know all the COVID-19 cases in Cetinje where she works as an epidemiologist.
She points out that the strategy must be testing, looking for contacts of patients, isolation.
Dr Popović Samardđić believes that microbiologists are not sufficiently involved in the work, that they only need support in the technical sense, to be able to help their colleagues.
