TIRANA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Albanian Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu said on Tuesday that health authorities have decided to make it mandatory for people to wear masks indoors.
During a visit to a health center in the capital city Tirana, Manastirliu said the decision to make the use of masks mandatory is a necessary measure, which will enter into force to protect the health of citizens and limit the spread of COVID-19.
"With the decision of the Technical Committee of Experts we have decided that the use of protective masks or barriers to be mandatory in public transport or high-risk activities, and from now to be used indoors as well," she said.
All those individuals who will not use a protective mask or barrier, according to the instructions of the Health Ministry, will be penalized, the minister said.
Manastirliu appealed to all those people who are skeptical about the coronavirus, saying that, in order to be convinced, they must take into account the suffering of the patients hospitalized at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, where currently there are 90 people under treatment.
"We can fight this disease by using simple weapons, such as the use of a mask. Scientific communities have admitted that protective masks or barriers reduce the spread of infection indoors," the minister noted.
The obligation to put on masks indoors will be determined by a Normative Act from the government, which will also determine the penalties for non-compliance with this obligation.
On Tuesday, health authorities in Albania reported 96 new coronavirus cases and two COVID-19 related deaths over the last 24 hours.
Since March 9 when the first coronavirus cases were confirmed in Albania, the total number of confirmed cases has reached 3,667, with 2,062 recoveries and 97 fatalities. Enditem
