About two dozen Macedonian citizens who tested positive to the coronavirus have left the country in the past few days. Reports of the outcome of mandatory police patrols are made daily, and every day the public is informed that several citizens were not found in their residence. Most of these cases include ethnic Albanians who live and work in Western Europe and came to their native towns and villages for the summer.

The latest report, for Wednesday, informs that the police could not find four citizens who were ordered to remain in Gostivar and the villages of Cegrane, Beloviste and Malo Turcane – all were later found to have left the country, potentially spreading the virus to European countries.

Tetovo and Gostivar, in the Polog valley, suffer for exceptionally high infection rates after several months of large celebrations and weddings, organized by the diaspora Albanians who missed out on last year’s summer season and came in exceptionally large numbers this year.