The woman who contracted the coronavirus in Italy before returning to Macedonia was not hospitalized immediately, and was in Macedonia for days before checking in the Infectious Diseases Clinic, her neighbors say.

People living in the Kale district of Skopje, where the 50 year old woman lives, say that they saw her in the neighborhood for days, walking around, before the virus was detected. Healthcare Minister Venko Filipce initially said that the woman declared that she is feeling ill at the border, and was escorted to the clinic, but later changed his statement, which contributed to the anxiety in the country.  Her place in Skopje and four homes in Strumica, where people who used the same minivan to get from Italy to Macedonia, are currently under quarantine.

A total of 10 people were in the van, and after their return to Skopje, two four year old children were in contact with the passengers, and are now also under observation. Police units are deployed to prevent the people from leaving their homes, and they are being provided with food and other necessities.