At the end of the summer season, a decrease in the number of people infected with COVID-19 was observed in Kosovo. On August 10, within 24 hours, 1,197 positive cases were registered, while on August 13, two people died from COVID-19. While on August 17, there were 413 positive cases of COVID-19 and no deaths in the last three days.

However, during the recent days there has been a drop in the positive cases. Data on the 7-day average number of positive cases per million people shows that Kosovo has entered a downward trend. 

Currently in Kosovo there are over five thousand active cases with COVID-19.

Currently in Kosovo there are over five thousand active cases with COVID-19. Prishtina Insight has asked the Institute of Public Health about the variant of COVID-19 that is currently circulating in Kosovo, but until the publication of this article they have not responded.

There has also been a decrease in the demand for hospitalization of those infected with COVID-19 last week, the head of the Infectious Disease Clinic, Arben Vishaj, told Prishtina Insight.

According to the data of the Clinical and University Hospital Service of Kosovo, UCCK, a total of 44 patients from COVID-19 are lying in UCCK hospitals, of which 12 patients are hospitalized in the Infectious Disease Clinic, one baby in the Clinic of Neonatology, five children in the Clinic of Pediatrics, two cases in the Central Intensive Care Medicine and one in the Clinic of Gynecology. 

While in other regional hospitals, five patients are hospitalized in Gjakova Hospital, four in Prizren Hospital, eight in Peja Hospital and three in Gjilan Hospital.

“The number of patients who are being treated with Covid-19 within the Clinical and University Hospital Service of Kosovo continues to decrease,” UCCK announced on Facebook on Tuesday.

According to Vishaj, vaccination has influenced that this wave of COVID-19 does not have great severity, compared to previous waves,  and there are no deaths from COVID-19.

In the updates of the Ministry of Health for August 15, it is stated that since the beginning of the vaccination process, 1.834.964 vaccines have been given. 

Recently, Kosovo approved the recommendation of the health committee to start issuing a fourth dose of the vaccine for people over 60. 

So far, only 1,601 fourth doses have been given.

Regarding the capacities for managing the situation with COVID-19, Vishaj said that the Infectious Disease Clinic currently has sufficient capacity.

A week ago, BIRN reported that there is a shortage of nurses at the Infectious Diseases Clinic, due to the large number of COVID-19 cases.

Vishaj had said that the shortage is seen in the time of night shifts, since from a total of 85 nurses, about 20 of them cannot work, either because they are over 60 years old, they have children under the age of 3, or because of other causes.

The Ministry of Health has called on citizens to get vaccinated without delay, to prevent an increase in the number of severe cases of COVID-19.