Police had to intervene in the case of the nine month old baby who died from Covid-19, after the baby’s grandmother refused to share the extent of her contacts and movement.

The baby was in the care of the grandmother while the parents were in Switzerland. It developed a very serious form of the virus, which shocked even leading pediatrician Aspazija Sofijanova. She informed the press that the baby had developed brain tumor tissue as a side-effect of the virus and was admitted with serious fever and was losing consciousness. It was sent for treatment to Switzerland, but doctors there could not help. It is by far the youngest victim of the epidemic so far in Macedonia.

Meanwhile, the grandmother, who also tested positive, was found to be well enough to leave for treatment at home. But doctors got alarmed when she refused to cooperate on the requirement survey meant to map out other contacts that need to be put into isolation. “Police assisted in finishing the survey, and so far none of her contacts have been ordered to self-isolate”, said Healthcare Minister Venko Filipce, illustrating it as an extreme example of lack of cooperation with the public.