June 1, 2020 - One day remains in the countdown to the end of the COVID-19 epidemic. The director of the Institute of Public Health (IJZ), Boban Mugosa, announced on 24 May that Montenegro would declare an end to the coronavirus epidemic on 2 June if no new cases emerged.
Montenegro opens borders to all neighbors
Montenegrins and foreign citizens with permanent or temporary residency in Montenegro will not be subject to quarantines if they are arriving from a country on Montenegro’s safe list. The list is published and updated by the Institute of Public Health.
Gatherings
Kindergartens
Although the NKT had announced that kindergartens would be allowed to reopen today, this refers only to private kindergartens that meet all IJZ recommendations. Public kindergartens will not open until Thursday, 4 June.
Passports and other ID documents
The Ministry of the Interior’s division for passports and other identification documents begins normal activities under its usual schedule today. The NKT calls to mind that expired licenses and permanent and temporary residency permits for foreigners will remain valid until 1 July.
Country safe list updated: Ireland and Northern Macedonia removed
The government updated yesterday its list of countries allowed entry into Montenegro without quarantine. Ireland and Northern Macedonia are no longer on the list as newly confirmed cases have raised the infection rate in those countries above the 25 per 100,000 limit set by Montenegro. The safe list, which was updated last night, currently shows 131 countries and is accessible on the Institute of Public Health’s website here.
Radovic: Healthcare workers showed health system should be left to them
Teamwork and good coordination among healthcare workers as well as the support and responsibility of citizens allowed Montenegro to become the first corona-free nation in Europe, says Dr Sasa Radovic, a member of the Medical Crisis Headquarters of the NKT. Radovic says coordination of all segments of the health system and the community at large was key. He says enormous energy was displayed by healthcare workers including doctors, medical technicians, pharmacists, support staff, as well as by members of the army, police, customs service, the business sector and the media.
COVID-19 gathered families around table and increased closeness
A new study by Professor Dragan Krivokapic of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of the University of Montenegro shows that isolation during the COVID-19 epidemic in Montenegro contributed to bringing families closer together during meals. The study surveyed 1,232 parents of children in primary and secondary schools from all three regions of the country. Krivokapic says parents spent much more time with their children during the lockdown period than before containment measures were introduced.
Tourists have begun entering Montenegro
Tourists began entering Montenegro last night immediately after midnight, the moment measures for entering without quarantine took effect for safe-listed countries. Most of the travelers were mainly from western European countries, media report.
Hoping that IMF, WB and ECB will be generous
The price of money in the coming period, primarily interest rates, will depend on its availability, but also on international events and measures of organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Central Bank. Authorities are optimistic - they say they believe that international financial institutions will come out with favorable loan conditions due to Covid-19. Analysts are more cautious and say that everything will depend on each country, ie its ability to respond to the new challenges.
Beach rental prices to depend on season
Tenants of 84 beach areas have asked the Agency for Coastal Zone Management to suspend rents this year because of the extremely difficult financial situation they are facing due to the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 398 leases were signed for the period 2019–2023, with only 70 annexes signed for this year. Budva beaches are practically deserted despite the fact that summer is fast approaching. These beaches should already have been prepared and opened but many tenants have not even concluded annexes to their contracts for this year precisely due to uncertainties over the season.
