The speed of the Fourth Wave of the coronavirus took Macedonia by surprise. From having very few infections during the summer, and the number of active cases dropping to low hundreds, there are now over 10,000 active cases. In the past five days, nearly 100 patients died from Covid-19.

The cases are overwhelmingly concentrated in the Polog Valley and in the capital Skopje. Skopje had the most cases throughout the pandemic, which is to be expected, given its high population density. But the cities of Tetovo and Gostivar, in Polog, seem to be hit because of the large number of weddings and celebrations held there by the tens of thousands mainly ethnic Albeanian emigrants who come to Macedonia for the summer. Last year the traditional summer vacation in the “old country” could not happen because of the strict travel restrictions, which seeminly only added to the large turnout and the party atmosphere for this summer. Tetovo and Gostivar have perhaps a third of the population of Skopje but are tied with the capital in the number of active cases.

In response, after allowing unrestricted travel to and from Macedonia and holding of large family events during the entire summer, the Healthcare Ministry is now restricting entry to cafes and restaurants to the unvaccinated and will begin requiring proof of vaccine, immunity or a PCR test for those coming to the country from September 1st.