TIRANA, Sept. 25, 2022 – Albania’s northwestern Kukes County is the country’s first to have no active COVID-19 cases since 2020, with cases in decline across the other 11 counties, according to official data from the Institute of Public Health.
Data released on Sunday showed active cases declining to a new low after Omicron cases peaked in January, fell, then rose and peaked to a lesser extent in July.
There are currently 594 active cases across Albania, with Tirana holding the highest, 284 active cases. Both the death and hospitalization rate have fallen dramatically this year as vaccines and a less severe Omicron variant have led to lower disease and crowd immunity, health experts say.
According to official data, 3,589 Albanians have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
Health experts believe the official data on the pandemic in Albania likely understates the real numbers at all levels due to the way the data is put together and confusion and inability to test earlier on.
Albania removed all remaining pandemic restrictions on May 1 on the recommendation of its Technical Committee of Experts. The decision allowed the removal of mandatory masks indoors and the opening of nightclubs. The requirement to submit a vaccination document or a negative test or a recovery certificate at the border before entering Albania was also removed at the time.
Despite the improved situation, the authorities continue to recommend vaccination and boosters of those at risk as the main means of protection against the virus, especially for the avoidance of severe cases, at a time when the virus is still in circulation.
More than 65 percent of Albanians over 12 have been vaccinated, with some getting boosters. However, the vaccine uptake has dropped sharply in recent months. Many Albanian elderly were originally given Chinese CoronaVac vaccines that are not as effective and new rules allow them to get more effective mRNA boosters made by Pfizer.
With the colder season approaching, the Technical Committee of Experts recommends fourth doses for citizens more than 60 years of age and those with compromised immune systems, but has also urged residents to follow the recommendation of their own family doctor.
