Photographs from the packed Avatar nightclub in Strumica, with young people partying without any protection and even less distancing, caused outrage in the country. Healthacre Minister Venko Filipce called on the police to intervene, but this could be difficult given that the owner appears to be a major supporter of the ruling SDSM party and the Strumica is party leader Zoran Zaev’s stronghold.

Other clubs across Macedonia, such as Calypso in Prilep, are also promoting concerts and mass parties.

The hospitality industry is open, but strictly in outdoors mode. The club is apparently holding concerts and DJ events which it bills as outdoors. Macedonia has the worst rate of infections and deaths in the region, with the total number of people dying from the epidemic recently surpassing 400.