• Covid-19: Record number of new cases in Kosovo, 195 (media)
• Four more people die from COVID-19 on Monday (media)
• Health Minister comments on spike in COVID-19 cases (media)
• Covid-19: Hospital and University Clinic director dismissed (media)
• Osmani criticises Government for not submitting anti-COVID law (media)
• PDK: Anti-COVID law must be adopted, violators must be fined (media)
• Pacolli: Assembly must urgently adopt anti-COVID law (media)
• UN Mission in Kosovo donates protective equipment to Ferizaj (Klan)
• UNDP donates 20 ventilators to Kosovo (media)
• Disgruntled Kosovars turn to North Macedonia for tests (Prishtina Insight)
• Hoti to meet Macron in Paris today (media)
• LVV: Concerns we raised about secret Thaci-Vucic agreement, confirmed (media)
• Cakaj’s office: Media reports about him joining PDK are speculation (Express)
• NISMA MP Shala switches party, joins AAK (media)

 Kosovo Media Highlights

COVID-19: Record number of new cases in Kosovo, 195 (media)

All media reported on Monday evening on the record number of new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours. 195 new cases were confirmed by Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health.

102 new cases are from the municipality of Prishtina.

There are currently 1,727 active coronavirus cases in Kosovo. 

Four more people die from COVID-19 on Monday (media)

All media outlets reported that four more infected persons with COVID-19 succumbed to the virus on Monday.

The death toll due to the coronavirus in Kosovo is 79.

Health Minister comments on spike in COVID-19 cases (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Health, Armend Zemaj, said in an interview with RTV Dukagjini on Monday that the spike in COVID-19 cases is not unexpected because the citizens failed to respect the protective measures. “The failure to keep the distance and the failure to wear masks have brought us to this point where we have a spike in cases,” he said.

Zemaj said the government was forced to undertake new measures as part of efforts to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus.

Zemaj also called on political opponents not to use the pandemic for political gains.

Covid-19: Hospital and University Clinic director dismissed (media)

All media outlets reported on Monday that Basri Sejdiu, director of the Hospital and University Clinical Service of Kosovo (SHSKUK), has been dismissed following the recent fatalities from the coronavirus.

The Board of the Hospital and University Clinical Service of Kosovo said that Sejdiu’s dismissal follows the findings of an Internal Audit on numerous violations, mismanagement and poor performance.

The Kosovo Patients’ Rights Association had called for Sejdiu's dismissal on Sunday saying the situation with COVID - 19 is getting out of control.

Sejdiu said in a reaction that his dismissal was unfair and politically motivated. He further criticised the SHSKUK Board of obstructing his work and not dealing with the coronavirus situation. “I think these decisions are being made for political reasons,” he added.

Citing unnamed sources, Koha reported that infectologist Valbon Krasniqi has been appointed acting head of the Hospital and University Clinical Service.

Osmani criticises Government for not submitting anti-COVID law (media)

Kosovo Assembly President Vjosa Osmani criticised the Hoti-led government on Monday for failing to submit the law on preventing and fighting COVID-19. Osmani said the current situation requires swift actions and not blocking the law for almost a month.

She also said that if the government does not submit the law until Thursday she will propose avoiding the regulation in order to urgently proceed with the adoption of the law.

The Assembly is scheduled to meet on Thursday.

PDK: Anti-COVID law must be adopted, violators must be fined (media)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) said on Monday that the Kosovo Assembly must adopt the anti-COVID law and introduce harsh fines for those that fail to respect the protective measures against the coronavirus.

“The Government and the Assembly must act as quickly as possible and adopt the anti-COVID law. The Democratic Party of Kosovo will support this initiative,” PDK MP Bekim Haxhiu told a press conference. “The mistakes made by the former government are being continued by the new government. Unfortunately, they have not listened to the repeated calls of the PDK for more testing at the country-level and to decentralise the process in the municipalities. Kosovo has enough capacities to conduct up to 1,000 tests a day,” he said.

Haxhiu also said that the government must issue a special decision to increase the salaries of healthcare professionals. 

Pacolli: Assembly must urgently adopt anti-COVID law (media)

New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) leader Behgjet Pacolli said on Monday that the Kosovo Assembly must urgently meet to adopt the anti-COVID law.

“The anti-COVID law must urgently be voted in the Assembly as requested by Assembly President Vjosa Osmani. Let us set aside differences and calculations now that COVID – 19 is everywhere around us, even among MPs. Let us perfect the law if needed but we need to be responsible. The pandemic is the best opportunity to join forces! One can score political points by blaming another. There are constitutional, financial and coordination issues that we need to address. Time does not wait!” Pacolli said.

UN Mission in Kosovo donates protective equipment to Ferizaj (Klan)

The UN Mission in Kosovo donated food and hygiene packages to the most affected families in the municipality of Ferizaj as part of its support against the fight of the Covid-19 pandemic and yesterday the mission continued the efforts by donating personal protective equipment.

Ferizaj Deputy Mayor Florim Bajrami accepted the donation and the municipality thanked the UN Mission for the assistance.

UNDP donates 20 ventilators to Kosovo (media)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has continued support for Kosovo in its fights against the Covid-19 pandemic by delivering the second batch of 20 mobile ventilators to the Kosovo University Clinical Centre.

The ventilators have been purchased through funds from the governments of Norway, Switzerland, and Luxembourg.

Disgruntled Kosovars turn to North Macedonia for coronavirus tests (Prishtina Insight)

With the number of reported cases of coronavirus on the rise, Kosovo’s health sector has been unable to meet the high demand for tests, pushing some citizens with concerns for their health and livelihoods to seek testing in Skopje.

After experiencing an intense cough, a slight headache and fatigue, Arjeta* from Gjilan went to get a checkup at her local medical centre, where a doctor advised her to head to the Infectious Disease Clinic in Prishtina to be tested for coronavirus.

Besides the typical symptoms associated with COVID-19, Arjeta had reason to believe she could have been exposed to the virus, as her husband had contact with an infected colleague. As she also has asthma, she was worried that she was even more at risk.

Arjeta claims that she was refused a test at the Infectious Disease Clinic, who told her that she didn’t have two other common symptoms: fever and high temperature.

“I asked if I needed to have all the symptoms to be positive,” Arjeta tells BIRN, adding that she was advised to return only if the other symptoms appeared.

Read full article at: https://bit.ly/3e4nBK1

Hoti to meet Macron in Paris today (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti has travelled to Paris and is expected to meet President Emmanuel Macron today.

Hoti's visit comes ahead of the Friday video summit between Kosovo and Serbia jointly hosted by France and Germany.

LVV: Concerns we raised about secret Thaci-Vucic agreement, confirmed (media)

The Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) said that the concerns it raised regarding the existence of a secret agreement between the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic have been confirmed by the statements of U.S. officials.

"PLAN parties accused us of paranoia and it is not simply that they are naive but stand behind this president they voted and whom they serve," LVV said on Facebook.

Koha highlights that at the weekend, John Bolton, the former U.S. National Security Advisor, said the exchange of territories between Kosovo and Serbia was pushed and promoted by the leaders of the two countries.

Cakaj’s office: Media reports about him joining PDK are speculation (Express)

Albania’s acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gent Cakaj, was rumored to be coming back to Kosovo to join the Democratic Party of Kosovo. According to the same media reports, Besa Shahini, Albania’s Minister of Education, could also join the party led by Kadri Veseli.

Cakaj’s office however denied the reports saying that he is performing his duties in the Albanian Government and that the reports are political speculation. Shahini’s office too said the media reports were not true.

NISMA MP Shala switches party, joins AAK (media)

Haxhi Shala, MP from the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA), has decided to leave his party and join the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK).

In a Facebook post, AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj welcomed Shala's move. "We decided to jointly serve the interests of the country in these sensitive times and in all future stages," he wrote.

Media recall that a night before the new government led by Avdullah Hoti was set to be voted, AAK leader Haradinaj and President Hashim Thaci visited Shala at his home in an effort to convince him to support the new government. He voted in favour the next day.