Faced with the huge increase in newly diagnosed patients and by far the worst death rate in the region, Healthcare Minister Venko Filipce today attempted to give a positive spin to the situation. “This increases the collective immunity of the citizens”, Filipce said, evoking the much criticized approach that was tried and then dropped by countries like the United Kingdom and Sweden.

The daily report of newly infected patients hovers just under 200 for days now, while during the presumed peak in mid April we had just one day with more than 100 diagnosed patients. While five Covid-19 deaths a were considered dramatic in April, days with  5-9 reported deaths have also become common over the past weeks. The numbers began to spike after the Muslim month of Ramadan, when days of fasting are followed by overnight feasts where entire extended families gather. The majority Muslim parts of Skopje are now suffering the brunt of the Second Wave.

Still, Minister Filipce insisted that the numbers are similar in the wider region, and when told that it is just not the case, added that Macedonia is overtesting and therefore discovers more cases.