Albania to ease restrictive measures against COVID-19

TIRANA - Albania will ease the restrictive measures against COVID-19 as the situation in the country has improved, Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu said on Sunday.

The Technical Committee of Experts on the coronavirus situation has decided to change curfew hours in the country as of Monday, Manastirliu told a press conference.

Current curfew hours in Albania, which start from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time, will be changed to 10 p.m. till 6 a.m., said the minister.

In addition, as of Monday, all bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve customers up to 10 p.m.

She also said that the Technical Committee of Experts has proposed reopening flights with the United Kingdom, which were suspended due to the spread of virus variant first found in Britain.

The number of new coronavirus infections, fatalities, and patients that need hospital treatment has decreased, said the minister.

On Sunday, the Health Ministry reported 238 new coronavirus cases and seven COVID-19-related deaths over the past 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed cases in Albania to 128,393, with 2,317 fatalities.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in an increasing number of countries with already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 273 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 87 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain, and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on April 9.