COVID-19 pandemic in Albania
The first case in the Republic of Albania was reported in Tirana on 8 March 2020, when a patient and his adult son who had come from Florence, Italy tested positive.
On 21 December 2020, health minister Ogerta Manastirliu announced that the country has decided to suspend flights to and from the UK until 6 January 2021 because of what was then a new COVID-19 mutation that transmits more quickly than other variants.
[5] On 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019.
[13] On 10 March, President Ilir Meta called for retired Albanian doctors to re-enter the work force.
[14] On 10 March, it was discovered that a Maryland woman had contracted novel coronavirus after visiting Albania, as well as spending time in a Turkish airport.
A big rise was seen in the municipality of Shkodër, where 12 new cases from 2 families were discovered, both had members who had previously tested positive for the disease.
Eight new cases arose, 6 individuals in Tirana, 1 medical personnel in Shkodër and 1 in Kukës, a municipality previously unaffected by the disease.
[34] Model-based simulations suggest that the 95% confidence interval for the time-varying reproduction number R t was stable around 1.0 in July, August and September but exceeded 1.0 in October.
[37] On 11 January 2021, Albania began its coronavirus vaccination program with doses received from an undisclosed European Union nation.
Prime Minister Edi Rama said he was "not authorized" to say which EU country had provided 975 doses to the Balkan nation.
[38] In January 2021, Albania expelled two Russian diplomats after repeated contraventions of Albanian government COVID-19 lockdown measures.
[39][40] On 6 August, Romania announced that will begin to deliver for free 1.3 million COVID-19 vaccines to another four countries to help tackle the pandemic.
[42] He instructed all Albanian citizens arriving from China, Singapore, Iran, South Korea, or Italy to call the same number, so that a medical group with protective suits can escort them to an infections hospital for testing, with all samples sent to the Public Health Institute.
[44] Albanian Health Minister Ogerta Manastirliu announced that anyone entering Albania from quarantined areas of Italy will have to self-isolate, or face punishment if they fail to do so.
[45] Rama also announced an expansion of the areas from which arrivals must self-isolate, to newly include all of Italy as well as all of Greece and ordered police to patrol the streets, detain any violators, and penalize them with a 5,000 euro fine.
[47] On the night of 11 March, police vehicles played messages on loudspeakers telling citizens to return inside.
[45] There were fears about the hygienic conditions in Roma dwellings, given that fewer than half have access to piped water to wash their hands with.
[51] A slew of new measures were announced, including a 72-hour curfew during which only transportation of basic needs such as food and medicine would be permitted, a three-month loan holiday, and the forced closure of garment factories and call centres (which are dependent on the Italian market).
[51] The police and the army mobilized and set up a total of 70 checkpoints on that day, spread throughout the country to make sure people were complying with self-quarantine requirements.
Police in some parts of the country, including Fier, began stopping cars with foreign license plates.
[57] On 15 March, Albania closed all of its land borders until further notice, making all travel from Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Kosovo prohibited.
[52] All physical government operations except essential activities were shut down, and civil servants ordered to stay down, but online services continued.
Social, cultural, and political gatherings, whether in enclosed or open-air spaces, were banned, and violators could be fined up to 5 million lek (or 4000 euros).
Television stations were banned from having more than two people in the same room for a talk show, on the pain of a 1 million lek fine (830 euros).
Any trade in food or medicine that did not comply with the specified government safety regulations to combat infections risked a fine of up to 10 million lek (8300 euros).
The legislation, called a "normative act", is an emergency law taking effect without prior approval by parliament.
[60] Furthermore, a national curfew was imposed: each day, all citizens were required to return to stay in their homes from 18:00 onward, as well as a ban on sitting in public places.
Regions included were the counties of Dibër and Gjirokastër and the municipalities of Sarandë, Konispol, Himarë, Delvinë, Finiq, Prrenjas, Pogradec, Librazhd and Divjakë.
[65] On 4 May, the Green Zones were expanded to include the municipalities of Tropojë, Rrogozhinë, Peqin, Belsh, Cërrik, Gramsh, Ura Vajgurore, Kuçovë, Berat, Poliçan, Skrapar, Devoll, Pustec, Maliq, Mallakastër, Kolonjë, Vlorë and Selenicë.
[68] On 26 May, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection announced that the second phase of reopening would begin with the opening of preschools on 1 June.
