TIRANA, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection of Albania Mira Rakacolli reported on Wednesday the first death from coronavirus infection in Albania.
Speaking at a press conference, Rakacolli said that the victim is a 73-year-old woman hospitalized in the port city of Durres, located some 30 kilometers south of the capital city Tirana.
The patient, who recently returned from Italy, suffered from other diseases such as chronic cardiac insufficiency and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Earlier on Wednesday, Rakacolli announced that so far in the country there are 12 cases of COVID-19 infection.
Via a video message in the social media, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that due to the negligence of citizens to obey the measures set by the government, he has ordered another set of strict measures which will come into force from Thursday.
Rama said that he has ordered the closure of all bars, restaurants, clubs in Tirana and Durres in order to prevent the spread of the virus in the population.
Albanian police and military forces will set up roadblocks on the streets of the capital to check all cars if there is any person that has returned from Italy or Greece in the last 14 days, Rama said.
Moreover, he said that anyone that breaks the self-quarantine of 14 days will get a fine of 5,000 euros (around 5,655 U.S. dollars) and will not be allowed to travel abroad without paying this fine.
On Monday, the government announced that all citizens entering Albania from areas under quarantine in Italy and other affected areas must go through self- quarantine for 14 days at their homes as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus.
