TIRANA, April 7 – The Albanian government has asked NATO for assistance through donations in medical equipment and personal protective equipment to protect medical staff and citizens from the coronavirus pandemic.
Through an official request written on March 27, four days after Albania declared a state of natural disaster, the government requested 800 ventilators and 500 monitors as well as 200,000 special medical clothes and 1.5 million surgical and professional masks.
The Ministry of Interior states that the points of entry for the donations may be through the Tirana International Airport, Port of Durres and Land Border Crossing Points. Moreover, the data as of March 23 reported in the official request shows that the rate of coronavirus infection in Albania is 6 in 100,000, while in Tirana the rate is 17 infected cases per 100,000 people.
So far, the EU has pledged 50 million euros to help Albania fight the coronavirus outbreak, of which 4 million is for immediate equipment and health support. The Chinese Embassy has also assisted by donating 1000 testing kits to Albania, while the U.S. Embassy has reportedly given out 30 thousand testing kits to assist the country in the fight against the coronavirus.
As of April 7, 386 coronavirus cases and 22 victims have been confirmed in Albania, while 131 have recovered.
