Temporary measures against spread of coronavirus are taken

Podgorica, Montenegro (13 March 2020) -- The Ministry of Health has ordered, pursuant to Article 55, paragraph 1 items 2, 4 and 9 of the Law on the Protection of Population against Communicable Diseases (Official Gazette of Montenegro 12/18), taking temporary measures for the prevention, introduction into the country, suppression and prevention of transmission of the coronavirus.

The temporary measures adopted on the proposal of the Institute for Public Health are:

1) Prohibition of entry for all cruisers and yachts into ports: Bar, Budva, Kotor, Kumbor - Portonovi port, Tivat (Gat I and Gat li) and Zelenika, until 2 April 2020;

2) Prohibition of landing and take-off for aircraft of "Freebird Airlines,", which is not a regular air carrier, at Podgorica Airport and Tivat Airport for the period from 13 to 19 March 2020;

3) Prohibition of gathering of population in indoor and outdoor public places, public gatherings, public events, sports, political, religious, cultural and artistic, private gatherings, ceremonies and events, in line with the law);

4) Prohibition of visits to persons undergoing hospital treatment in health care institutions and persons accommodated in social and child care institutions;

5) Prohibition of visits to persons deprived of their liberty and detainees, except for lawyers and court experts, at the discretion of the court, and prohibition of visits to persons who are serving a sentence, except lawyers and court experts, by order of the court;

6) Discontinuation of educational work in public and private educational institutions, for at least 15 days, starting on 16 March, 2020. During the discontinuation of this work one of the parents / guardians / foster parents / adoptive parents or a single parent of a child not older than 11 years, shall be provided with paid absence from work, except for employees in the health sector;

7) Closure of border crossings for passenger border traffic to the Bosnia and Herzegovina: Šćepan Polje - Hum, on the Plužine - Foča road; on the Šula – Vitina border crossing, on the Pljevlja – Foča road, to the Republic of Albania: Grnčar - Baškim, on the Plav - Shkoder road; Sukobin – Murićani, on the Ulcinj - Shkoder road, to the Republic of Croatia: Kobila - Vitina, on the Herceg Novi - Vitina - Dubrovnik road and to the Republic of Serbia: Ranče - Jabuka, on the Pljevlja – Prijepolje road and Vuče - Godova on the Rožaje – Tutin road.

8) Prohibited travel from Montenegro to Japan, France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Austria.

9) Placing under the sanitary supervision of returnees / passengers in international traffic from Japan, France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Slovenia and Austria.

10) The Property Administration to procure additional quantities of hygiene products, as well as means for disinfecting hands, workplaces and equipment, according to the priorities, primarily for the needs of educational institutions and health care institutions.

It is noted that failure to comply with the measures of this order is subject to criminal liability, in line with Articles 287 and 302 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro.

The Ministry of Health recommends:

1. Owners, managers and tenants of shopping malls, large retail chains and retail establishments, catering facilities, sports and recreational facilities and swimming pools, playrooms for children and similar facilities, to implement measures, aimed at preventing citizen gatherings in a restricted area; Consumers and users of these facilities to avoid crowds and gatherings in a confined space;

2. State authorities, state administration authorities, authorities of local self-government and local government, companies, public institutions and other legal entities, entrepreneurs and individuals who carry out a certain activity, to establish for the jobs for which the work process permits the performance of tasks within their competence i.e. activities from home. In doing so, they should determine the jobs for which it is possible to perform work from home and persons performing these tasks, which, due to their health and other circumstances, should not be exposed to the risk of becoming ill, the way of communication of employees performing tasks from home, the way to maintain meetings that are in the function of performing tasks within the competence and activity (telephone, online ...);

3. Special regime of work of health care institutions during the next period, which will enable adequate functioning of the health care system, especially institutions at the secondary and tertiary level of health care.

4. Health care users to delay review, which they can delay, while these measures are lasting.

5. Market entities are warned not to abuse the current situation for making extra profits, especially on the occasion of marketing and selling basic food products, personal hygiene products, maintaining room hygiene, medicines and medical devices. Competent inspections, and in particular market inspections are advised to strengthen inspections on the implementation of this measure.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SERVICE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MONTENEGRO