• COVID-19: 1,783 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Health Minister: 99 percent of tested samples resulted with Delta variant (media)
• Health Institute chief appeals for vaccination against COVID-19 (Indeksonline)
• Kosovo approves vaccinations for over-12s (Exit News)
• PDK’s Nikaj slams government for poor management of pandemic (EO)
• Osmani: Two Kosovars safely evacuated from Afghanistan (media)
• Kurti: I cannot disclose number of Afghans that will be sheltered (AP/Klan Kosova)
• Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia prepare to shelter fleeing Afghans (BIRN)
• Controversial Kosovo Serb powerbroker’s libel case dismissed (BIRN)

COVID-19: 1,783 new cases, five deaths (media)

A daily record-high 1,783 new cases with COVID-19 and five deaths from the virus were recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours. 126 persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 10,233 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo. 21,903 vaccines were administered in the last 24 hours. To date, a total of 601,701 vaccines have been administered in Kosovo.

Health Minister: 99 percent of tested samples resulted with Delta variant (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Health, Arben Vitia, said on Tuesday evening that 99 percent of samples sent for testing outside Kosovo have tested positive to the Delta variant of COVID-19. Vitia said he will present to the government tomorrow new measures aimed at preventing the further spread of the virus. “This spread makes the epidemiological situation very serious. This new wave requires an immediate intervention. Tomorrow we will propose to the government to introduce new restrictive measures that will affect several sectors. We will propose shutting down night clubs, to shorten the working hours of the gastronomy and we will propose a solution for weddings, with new limitations. The reason why these measures will be implemented in these sectors is because the biggest spread is coming from them because of big gatherings and also from the failure to respect the measures that are in force,” he said.

The new measures are expected to be in force until September 1.

Several media outlets cover a statement issued by the Kosovo Chamber of Hospitality Tourism highlighting that as part of new measures against the virus, which are expected to enter into force soon, people won’t be allowed into restaurants, bars and hotels without proof of vaccination or a PCR test.

Health Institute chief appeals for vaccination against COVID-19 (Indeksonline)

Kosovo National Institute for Public Health Director, Naser Ramadani, told a press conference on Tuesday that the most concerning fact about the Delta variant of COVID-19 is that children too are being infected. “The Delta variant can also be called a new virus because that is how it is acting. The explosive spread of the variant is leading to a rapid increase of new cases and what is most concerning is that children too are being infected,” he said.

Ramadani also said that vaccination against the virus is the most efficient method. “Kosovo is the only country in the Balkans that uses vaccines approved by the EMA and FDA,” he added.

Kosovo approves vaccinations for over-12s (Exit News)

Kosovo has approved vaccinations for over-12s, as infection numbers continue to be high.

According to the new decision, teenagers aged 16 and older will be eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. Those aged between 12-15 will receive the vaccine on a case by case basis, depending on their health.

The Kosovo government approved vaccination for over-12s after both the EU and the US approved the use of the Pfizer-BioN/Tech for children and teenagers in this age group.

Since March 2021, Kosovo has administered over 550,000 vaccine doses and over 200,000 have been fully vaccinated.

Last week, Kosovo made proof of vaccination mandatory for everyone wishing to participate in large indoor gatherings. This measure will be in place between August 20 and September 10.

PDK’s Nikaj slams government for poor management of pandemic (EO)

Bernard Nikaj, member of the presidency of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the biggest opposition party, slammed the Kosovo government on Tuesday for the poor management of what he called “alarming situation with the pandemic”. He said that despite the enormous spike in new cases, the vaccination process in many municipalities is chaotic and that there is no vaccination during weekends. Nikaj also criticised Health Minister Arben Vitia for dealing with his candidacy in the upcoming local elections. “This is unacceptable and inexcusable. Now is not the time for candidacies, now is the time to manage the pandemic,” he said.

Osmani: Two Kosovars safely evacuated from Afghanistan (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani took to Twitter on Tuesday to say that “for some time, the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs and my Office have been working on ensuring the safe evacuation of Kosovo citizens from Kabul. With assistance from the United States and European countries, two of our citizens were safely evacuated to a safe country and will be back home soon.”

Kurti: I cannot disclose number of Afghans that will be sheltered (AP/Klan Kosova)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in an interview with The Associated Press that the state of Kosovo is showing solidarity with the Afghan people in these difficult times “and this is why we have decided to offer Afghan refugees shelter and protection in the Republic of Kosovo”.

Kurti said he cannot disclose details about the number of Afghan refugees that will arrive in Kosovo or the locations where they will be staying. “Two teams from our country were in regular contact and communication since mid-July, discussing logistical, security and other organisational details for sheltering Afghan refugees,” he said. “For the time being I cannot disclose further details about their numbers and where they will stay because it is painful from the human aspect and sensitive in terms of security. Together with US authorities, we are confident that everything will go smoothly and that the refugees from Afghanistan will be in safe environments in our country.”

Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia prepare to shelter fleeing Afghans (BIRN) Albania is reported to be about to give refuge to some 250 Afghan civilians over the course of the next few days, North Macedonia is expecting to take in around 390 and Kosovo is also preparing to receive an unnamed number of people fleeing Afghanistan after it fell to the Taliban at the weekend.

The three countries said the refugees, whose lives are potentially in danger if they remain in Afghanistan, will be accommodated temporarily until they are transferred to the US or into third countries. None of them has so far stated their overall capacity for accepting such refugees.

Voice of America on Tuesday cited unnamed diplomatic sources as saying that some 250 civilians would be in the first group expected to arrive in Albania, primarily people who have worked with the Western alliance in Afghanistan, such as translators, cooks and other staff, along with their families.

The mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, confirmed that the first group is expected to reach Albania over the next few days on US military flights and will be accommodated in the capital Tirana in five student dormitories. He added that when hotels in city of Durres have fewer tourists, refugees might be accommodated there too.

North Macedonia initially said on Monday it was expecting some 190 Afghan civilians, but Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said on Tuesday that a request to host an additional 200 people has been received.

“However, given that the number of flights from Kabul is significantly restricted, we cannot know for sure when these civilians will arrive in our country,” Osmani told media in Skopje on Tuesday.

Authorities said that the first small group that is expected to arrive will comprise six women and children of people who were employed at the UN mission in Afghanistan.

The North Macedonian government said that it is working on securing accommodation in hostels, hotels and resorts, saying that the expenses should be paid by international organisations and the US.

“The civilians will be accommodated and taken care of for a limited time period, until they can be transferred to the US or to third countries. This will be determined in coordination with our strategic partners and the international organisations,” the government stated.

The government explained that the Afghans will primarily be people who have worked for humanitarian organisations, media and human rights groups and who in the past 20 years have been helping maintain peace in Afghanistan, plus their families. Upon arrival, they will be put in a 14-day COVID-19 quarantine or offered vaccines if they need them.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti told media on Tuesday that his government has been in talks with the US about the “logistical, organisational and technical aspect but also the security, sheltering and protection of a number of refugees from Afghanistan”, but gave no specific figures.

BIRN contacted Kosovo’s government for more details but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.

Newspaper Koha reported that the refugees from Afghanistan might be accommodated in two asylum centres but also at an innovation park in the town of Prizren and at the French KFOR camp in Vushtrri/Vucitrn.

Koha reported that these sites could theoretically accommodate up to 10,000 people.

Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said on Monday that Kosovo has a moral obligation to save lives as a country that experienced an exodus of its own population during the 1990s war.

Svecla said that the refugees will “be given a place where they will be temporarily safe, enjoying all the fundamental rights under our legislation and institutional support until a lasting solution is found in the United States.”

US President Joe Biden has decided to allocate up to $500 million to help refugees from Afghanistan after the US-backed government collapsed and the Taliban took control, the White House said in a statement on Monday.

These funds will be used “for the purpose of meeting unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs of refugees, victims of conflict, and other persons at risk as a result of the situation in Afghanistan”.

Evacuation flights resumed from Kabul airport on Tuesday as countries rushed to get their nationals, and Afghans who aided Western missions, out of the country.

Controversial Kosovo Serb powerbroker’s libel case dismissed (BIRN)

Belgrade Higher Court has dismissed a defamation case launched by controversial Kosovo Serb businessman and politician Milan Radoicic against rival Kosovo Serb politician Rada Trajkovic, who accused him of being implicated in the shooting of Oliver Ivanovic in 2018.

Radoicic, the vice-president of the main Belgrade-backed Kosovo Serb political party, Srpska Lista, is a businessman who is widely seen as the real power-holder in Serb-majority northern Kosovo.

Trajkovic’s legal representative, Vladimir Gajic, said that in its decision, which was made on June 16 but only became public on Wednesday, the court had prioritised the right to freedom of speech.

“In this case, the court decided that the freedom of expression and freedom of speech of Rada Trajkovic is more important than his [Radojicic’s] reputation, given that he is a public figure, engaged in politics and that, for the reasons we stated in the case, she had reason to believe that he was what she had publicly accused him of being,” Gajic told BIRN.

This was a first-instance verdict and Radojicic has right to appeal.

Radojicic sued Trajkovic in August 2019, asking for five million dinars (some 42,000 euros) in compensation for the alleged damage to his honour and reputation because she publicly connected him to the murder of Ivanovic in January 2018.

The indictment for the murder of Ivanovic, filed in December 2019, said that Radoicic and another Kosovo Serb, Zvonko Veselinovic, were leaders of a criminal group responsible for the killing, and accused several policemen of aiding the crime. They have denied involvement.

In March this year, Pristina Basic Court withdrew a warrant for the arrest of Radoicic. In July, Srpska Lista members unanimously re-elected Radoicic as the party’s vice-president.

The trial of four people accused of abetting the murder of Ivanovic and two policemen accused of evidence-tampering in the case opened in Pristina in July. The identity of the killers remains unknown.

Once seen as a hardline nationalist, Ivanovic had evolved into a political moderate who advocated coexistence between Kosovo’s Serb minority and Albanian majority. He had also become increasingly vocal in his criticism of the Belgrade government.

At the time of his death, he was being retried for ordering the murder of Kosovo Albanians during the war in Kosovo in 1999. He pleaded not guilty.