The number of new tests and newly diagnosed Covid patients declined today, after reaching near record highs over the past several days, but the decline could be caused by the Christmas holidays rather than an actual slowing down in the spread.

A total of 6,531 tests were conducted over the past day, leading to 632 positive results. The number of active cases remains high, at around 9,500. More than half of them are registered in the capital Skopje.

The Healthcare Ministry also reported that seven patients died of the illness. The deceased were aged between 40 and 75. Additional four deaths that occurred in December and early January but were not registered immediately were added to today’s report.