Doctor Nikola Panovski urged the Zaev regime, which insists on holding a census this spring, to have it performed in the open – in the yards of houses, or in balconies of apartment buildings. Panovski warned that the process will be dangerous and should begin with the citizens who already had the virus and are therefore at lower risk.

Census workers can be met in the yards, on balconies, through open windows at the lower floor. Or in the biggest room in the house with full protective gear. But it will be difficult, very difficult, to persuade citizens that the process is safe, Panovski said.

Macedonia had a major spike of cases during the fall and early winter, and is only now seeing the cases drop to between 7,000 and 8,000 active cases. Still, after a political agreement between Zaev’s SDSM party and his DUI coalition partner, the preparations for a census are going ahead, even though it will include teams staying in individual homes for about half an hour while they collect data about the household. This while citizens are still banned from hosting parties at home to prevent the spread of the virus.