Chinese experts in Serbia: 29 days needed to calm down COVID-19

Tanjug/Tanja Valič

Serbia's Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar said on Monday the Chinese experts who came to Belgrade to help in fighting coronavirus pandemic, were expected to present a set of measures later in the day, the FoNet news agency reported.

“Till the end of the day, we will have more suggestions for the measures necessary to keep the situation under control, “Loncar told the pro-government Happy TV.

The Chinese experts who came to Belgrade on Saturday, also said people should respect the measures the country's Government prescribed, and that if they did, it would take 29 days to stabilise the situation.

Late on Sunday, speaking to the state RTS, Loncar said the experts estimated the time based on comparing Serbia to the areas in their country with similar population size and on their experience in fighting against COVID-19.

Loncar warned the population on Monday that the so far taken measures were the best possible at the moment, but that “the health system's capacity has its limits,” which would be jeopradised if people did not honour those measures.

“Health care cannot withstand irresponsibility,” he added.

As of Monday, Serbia's Health Ministry will update on the number of new coronavirus cases once a day, at 3 pm.

By 6 pm on Sunday, 222 positive cases of coronavirus COVID-19 were confirmed in Serbia.

Until March 22, the National Torlak Institute laboratory tested 761 people who fulfilled the criteria for testing (staying in the area of intensive transmission of virus and presence of symptoms of infection of the respiratory tract), the Health Ministry covid-19.rs website said.

Since the last report on March 22, at 8 am, 61 persons were tested, and 34 of them were positive.