TIRANA, Oct. 12 – While active COVID-19 cases and fatalities in Albania remain at far higher levels than seen in the early summer months, the most recent wave, driven by the Delta variant, appears to be ebbing, experts and numbers indicate.
“All the indicators show the Delta wave is ebbing,” said Dr. Ilir Alimehmeti, one of the country’s leading epidemiologists. “Unfortunately it takes some time, two weeks or more, between the new case numbers decreasing and the hospitalization and fatality rates doing so.”
He added the risk is not gone so people who haven’t been vaccinated should do so. Masks, distance and avoiding crowds are also important, he said.
To avoid another major COVID-19 wave in the winter, authorities are urging all Albanians to be vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccination is currently open to everybody over 18.
In the past week, the number of coronavirus victims decreased, the first time there was a positive trend since the end of July.
According to the official data, 59 people died last week in total from COVID-19.
The situation in hospitals, including the number of those treated in intensive care, has also been improving.
The positivity ratio — tests to new positive cases also dropped to 13.7 percent, from 15.2 a week earlier. Positivity is an indicator of virus transmission in the community, expert note.
The trend of an improving situation is also noticed in the progressive decline of active cases, 6,952 across the country from 8,655 that were in the previous week. More than 44 percent of the active cases are in the capital region.
