As of Friday, Macedonia is fully reopening its borders, enabling free movement of Macedonian and foreign nationals without the obligation to provide a valid PCR coronavirus test, and without having to be quarantined.

The decision was reached by the Government on Tuesday, based on recommendations of the Commission for Infectious Diseases. In addition, the Government decided to fully reopen as of July 1 the Skopje International Airport and the Ohrid Airport.

Measures and recommendations on wearing personal protective equipment, i.e. face mask, maintaining physical distance and disinfecting often remain in place.

According to health authorities, the reopening of borders is not considered a high risk for a spike in the number of confirmed cases because local transmission is in fact the highest risk. Namely, if people adhere to preventative measures (control established at borders, including thermal cameras at airports and the way passengers will be interviewed upon entry in the country), this risk is minimized.

As the Government decided to fully reopen the country’s borders, Macedonian citizens can now travel without being obligated to provide a valid negative PCR coronavirus test, and without having to be quarantined upon return to the country.

However, with the exception of Serbia, Albania, Kosovo and Turkey, this restriction remains in place in some countries in the region and the EU. Directions given by the European Commission to open the borders starting from July 1 are in place in terms of traveling to EU member countries. Union members are to review this decision in the coming days due to a spike in new coronavirus cases.

Ahead of the reopening of the borders, at the request of the Crisis Management Body, the State Sanitary and Health Inspectorate decided on Thursday to annul all decisions made between June 13 and June 25 as regards people in self-isolation or state quarantine who have entered Macedonia presenting a valid negative PCR COVID-19 test.