March 19, 2018 - In Montenegro, two new coronavirus cases today. The Institute of Public Health announced today that five more people had tested positive for Covid-19, growing the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Montenegro to 13.
New government measures
The government issued new temporary rules last night, which include a ban on taxi operations and home delivery of groceries and medicine without the approval of the National Coordinating Body Headquarters. A ban has also been placed on retail shops, excluding pharmacies, grocery stores, petrol stations, construction materials, farming products, and pet and veterinary supply shops. Kiosks, baby shops, funeral homes continue to operate, too.
Changes to the health system have also been introduced whereby specialist examinations will now be approved for emergency patients at the recommendation of the primary care physician. Podgorica's Tolosi Health Care Centre will open a checkpoint for patients suspected of having Covid-19. The government has also decided that two additional quarantine bases would be set up in Danilovgrad and Podgorica. The Institute of Public Health announces that more than 3,500 citizens are under observation.
Municipalities around the country are introducing measures to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Herceg Novi has determined that the Igalo Sports Centre will serve as a quarantine base in that municipality. The Tivat administration has selected the Kamelija hotel for this purpose.
Last night, the Defence and Security Council made a decision to engage members of the Montenegrin Armed Forced in providing physical protection for quarantine areas. Members of the Armed Forces are deployed to the quarantine areas today, 19 March, 2020.
The National Coordinating Body has adopted the following additional measures: the temporary suspension of passenger aircraft transport, temporary suspension of international passenger rail transport, and the temporary suspension of international road transport.
47 Montenegrin citizens return home from abroad
Thirty-three Montenegrin citizens landed at Podgorica Airport yesterday afternoon on a flight from Hungary. Fourteen arrived yesterday from Sarajevo. All are in quarantine, said the state secretary for the Ministry of the Interior, Dragan Pejanovic. The government has announced that tomorrow there will be flights to Belgrade and Rome and that flights will continue to be made until all those who wish to return to Montenegro are brought back.
Strict sanctions for violating self-isolation
The National Coordination Team for Infectious Diseases and the highest representatives of the judiciary agreed severe sanctions should be imposed to all who violate the orders of the Ministry of Health, and in particular, those who refuse to apply the self-isolation measures. It was stated that every detected case of violation of self-isolation would be charged as soon as possible, with the strictest sanctions possible.
Dentists available only for emergency cases
The Health Insurance Fund informed public health insurance beneficiaries that during the coronavirus outbreak measures, dental health care at the primary healthcare level would be carried out only in cases of emergency.
CBCG to stop loan repayments for three months?
The government and the Central Bank of Montenegro (CBCG) adopted today a series of economic measures aimed at resolving the harmful effects of the coronavirus. Prime Minister Dusko Markovic announced Tuesday night that the government was considering giving one-off assistance to the most vulnerable, while according to unofficial information, one of the options is to allow citizens and businesses to delay loan payments for 90 days.
Citizens and businesses offering donations to help country fight coronavirus
In light of the significant number of individuals and companies providing donations to help fight the coronavirus, the National Coordinating Body has issued a contact email for further information and opened domestic and foreign bank accounts for contributions.
