The Ministry of Health has announced that two patients that tested positive for coronavirus died in the early hours of Monday morning at the Infectious Disease Clinic in Prishtina.

According to the statement released by the ministry, one 59-year-old male patient born in Prishtina with the initials S.N. died at 03:00. The ministry stated that he was admitted to the clinic on April 4 while unconscious and in a critical condition, and suffered from type 2 diabetes.

A 70-year-old female patient with the initials N.R., who was born in the village of Korisha near Prizren, died four hours later at 7:10. The ministry stated that she was admitted to the Infectious Disease Clinic on April 2 and also had several underlying health conditions including diabetes, hypertension and cardiomyopathy.

On Sunday the National Institute of Public Health announced that out of 1,964 samples tested in Kosovo since February 8, there have been 145 that have tested positive for coronavirus.

According to data published by Ministry of Health spokesperson Faik Hoti, the highest number of confirmed cases are in the Municipality of Malisheva with 43 cases, while Prishtina follows with 22.

Three people that have tested positive for the virus have now died in Kosovo, while 23 have fully recovered. Epidemiologist at the Infectious Disease Clinic Valbon Krasniqi stated in a Facebook post published on Sunday that six of those who recovered are over 60, while one was over 80.

“This is a good start, it inspires us professionals and makes us believe that we are on the right track,” Krasniqi said. “However, we have now entered the fourth week since we confirmed the first cases in Kosovo. The end of next week, halfway through April, may be decisive for the fate of the epidemic in our country.”

In an interview with news agency KosovaPress, microbiologist Lul Raka also stated that Kosovo was entering a crucial period.

“If we compare with the region and the predictions that we’ve made, I can say that the situation is better than our predictions,” Raka said, while also foreseeing that the number of confirmed cases would continue to increase as the virus has spread to locations across the country.

“These days we will understand how much the instructions and advice from health professionals were respected,” he said.