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The number of infections in Southeast Europe is dangerously increasing, a real shock test for health systems and authorities. Some countries believed they had already stopped the pandemic.
By Wolfgang Vichtl, ARD Studio Southeast Europe
Slovenia: from model country to partial blockade
“The pandemic stopped” was the slogan in Slovenia after the first wave in mid-May. But more than 300 newly infected per 100,000 inhabitants let the government hit the emergency brake again: partial closure for 30 days, curfew from 9 pm, stay home, unless you have to go to the doctor or go to work. The economy should continue. The police control – and first just admonish. Slovenians complain but understand.
Croatia: the vacation country misses tourists
The crown crisis is hitting Croatia harder, says Mario Holzner of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies. Croatia is threatened by a drop in gross national product of just under double digits, he fears. The country of 4.3 million now had to register more than 1,000 infected people a day for the first time. In the summer, for example, no new corona cases were recorded on the Istrian peninsula for many days. The anti-crown rules are still relatively moderate, a lock is not a problem at this time.
Montenegro: first role model, then hotspot across Europe
Almost 630,000 inhabitants and 2,385 infected per 100,000 inhabitants are now at the top of the list of countries with negative results of corona from the European statistical offices: Montenegro officially declared that the virus had been defeated in early June. At the end of the first wave, in spring, the small country had 324 infected and nine dead. The balance today is dramatic: 17,000 infected and 250 deaths per corona.
Hungary: flexible rules out of concern for the economy
Hungary wants to avoid conditions similar to those of a running of the bulls like in spring. Back then, borders and schools were closed and the virus could be contained. It’s over. Although the number of infections is increasing, Hungary is relatively relaxed about it at the moment: bars, restaurants and cinemas are open until 11pm. There is a mask requirement, but not everyone meets it.
Bulgaria: figures and threatening protests
For the first time since the beginning of the Corona crisis, Bulgaria is also registering more than 1000 people infected per day, more recently there were 1024 (as of October 20, 2020). Almost a quarter (23 percent) of the tests were corona-positive. Discussion has started on a nationwide mask requirement, also outdoors. The situation in hospitals is worrying. Bulgaria, a country of seven million people, suffers from a chronic shortage of doctors and nurses; many have left the country frustrated when looking for qualified workers in other EU countries.
Romania: the health system on the brink of resilience
For Romania’s 20 million inhabitants, there are only a little over 1,000 intensive care beds for corona patients. The problem: almost three-quarters are already occupied, while the number of infected people increases threateningly every day. President Klaus Iohannis reacts defensively and with irritation to the accusations: in a “catastrophe” like this “one should not look for guilty, but for solutions.” But many Romanians do not trust those responsible for doing that.
Serbia: doctors fear hospital collapse
In Serbia, criticism of the system is intensified by the problems caused by the corona pandemic. Well-trained doctors have left the country, they are urgently lacking. That is why around 3,000 doctors have come together to solve to some extent the failure of crisis teams. They warn of an “Italian scenario” when too many Covid-19 patients paralyze the entire health system.
Bosnia-Herzegovina: not enough hospital staff
Medical technology is available in hospitals, but there is a lack of doctors and specialized personnel who can operate the devices. Faced with the increasing number of infections, two regions, Sarajevo and Una-Sana, were ordered to wear masks outdoors. In Sarajevo there is a risk of fines of more than 500 Bosnian marks (around 250 euros), which are extremely high for locals, if someone does not comply with them. The willingness to wear a mask is increasing.
Albania: protective mask on the street since the age of eleven
The capital Tirana is the epicenter of the pandemic, more than half of new infections are registered here. The death toll has also risen, from 31 in mid-September to 451 (as of October 19, 2020), since restaurants, bars, schools and swimming pools reopened. Prime Minister Edi Rama explains that despite the increase in the number of cases, only just under half of medical capacities have been exhausted.
Kosovo: irritable mood in the economic crisis
Since the relatively strict rules in Kosovo were relaxed in early June, the number of infected people has increased. That is why it is mandatory to wear a mask, both indoors and outdoors. Those who refuse have to pay: fines of between 35 and 300 euros, they have already been asked to pay tens of thousands. Part of the population reacts with extreme irritation when Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti justifies stricter measures on his Facebook account with the intention of avoiding a shutdown. An estimated 20,000 to 40,000 Kosovars have already lost their jobs in the Corona crisis.
North Macedonia: Has the “second wave” started?
The number of infected people is increasing, hospital quarantine rooms are crowded. Health Minister Venko Filipce warns of a bleak autumn and winter in Corona and threatens a quarantine lockdown. The discussion is about closing restaurants, cafes and sandwiches earlier, stopping work there by 11 p.m., banning events, and cutting public transportation in half.
