The infection is taking alarming proportions. A minor brings the death toll to 3 Analyses carried out in Tirana confirm the tragic result: the sick in Kuçova have been struck by the deadly virus. Cikuli: «The situation is under control» ARMAND MERO TIRANE — The fear of cholera is spreading over Albania. The epidemic wave that has hit the Kuçova area for a week, causing the death of 3 people, has significantly increased concern throughout the country. The latest information shows that this is the first cholera epidemic recorded in Albanian specialized laboratories on the basis of the analyses carried out. The first results of the analyses performed in Tirana have confirmed the presence of the cholera vibrio. An alarm has been raised in the country and the Ministry of Health has requested the help of French experts from the World Health Organization. It will be their response — after analyses carried out in the renowned laboratories of France — that will put an end to the frightening hypothesis, either disproving or confirming it. Meanwhile, the situation in Kuçova has worsened further. Teams of specialists have arrived in the city and from Tirana to assist local doctors in dealing with the situation. To the two people who died on Friday, a 3-year-old child has now been added. Admitted to the Kuçova hospital around 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, he died without even receiving first aid. The number of people affected by the infection — up to Monday 130 — continues to rise rapidly. The peak was yesterday, when about 50 more people appeared in the hospital wards, followed on Monday by about 20 new patients. The number of hospital admissions in other military hospitals is also increasing. While 27 soldiers are isolated in quarantine in Tirana, another 17 are hospitalized in Kuçova. Despite the spread of the disease, the Minister of Health Maksim Cikuli states that the situation is under control and that efforts for maximum hygiene among the population, including the distribution of two hundred urgent doctors’ orders to deal with the epidemic, will bear fruit. "Although we have signs that the disease is not spreading further to other areas" — Cikuli specified — "it is still necessary to intensify measures and avoid creating panic among the population." Here are the protective measures TIRANE — "Boil the water and maintain maximum hygiene." This is the appeal doctors are making to the entire population in the serious situation that has arisen. "Any spark of infection, which can be triggered if carelessness affects children and minimal hygiene," say the doctors — "is becoming the cause of fatal consequences." The disease spreads only after consumption of contaminated food and drinking water. Doctors advise against using water from open wells and recommend that fruit and vegetables be washed thoroughly — and that only boiled water or bottled water be drunk.

During the visit to Tirana TIRANE — "The clandestine emigration of Albanians to Italy will be blocked, with special attention to Albanian economic development." This is how Foreign Minister Antonio Martino expressed himself at the end of his brief visit to our country. According to him, the new Italian government aims to build new relations with Albania, based on economic and political cooperation. When asked about Albanian-Greek relations, Martino stated that Italy would intervene with Athens to avoid tensions and to favor a constructive dialogue. He said that Rome considers stability in the region important and supports Albania’s efforts toward integration. During the talks in Tirana he met high-ranking representatives of the Albanian state. Martino emphasized that the problem of emigration cannot be solved only with police measures, but above all with economic development and with a regular relationship between the two countries. In the photo President Berisha seeing off Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Martino (Photo A. Babani)

KUÇOVE — Kuçova continues to be gripped by the wave of infection. Since yesterday, the city hospital — specially expanded to handle the influx of patients — has seen numbers continue to rise dramatically. The symptoms of those affected are the same: watery diarrhea — more than 30 times a day — and green vomiting. The hospital doors remain open 24 hours a day without interruption. The sick can arrive on site by ambulance or be brought in treated with serum to prevent the fluids the body loses as a result of vomiting and diarrhea. Here they have no contact with other people, being completely isolated. Some of them have been transferred — for lack of space — to the hospital in Berat, which is guarded by police forces. Meanwhile, the city quarantine with dozens of ambulances has been set up to remain in place until the situation is brought under control. In the families of the sick, the doctors sent there carry out screening.

BERAT — The news of the spread of the disease — an unusual one, called mysterious — which is cutting through the center of this area, has caused concern in the city’s public opinion. Although none of the residents of Berat have complained of the symptoms of the disease, only 15 kilometers farther north in Kuçova and in the villages lying between it and Berat, the disease has spread at a frightening pace. On Sunday evening an extraordinary meeting was held in Berat, attended by representatives from Tirana and the Minister of Order Agron Musaraj. Meanwhile, the hospitalization of patients from Kuçova has continued. The order issued to prevent the spread of the disease has placed the Berat hospital on general alert. At least 15 patients from Kuçova, including a minor, have been moved to the hospital’s special ward. The hospital laboratory and hygiene specialists are on standby. Specialist doctors sent from Tirana have also arrived here. The hospital management has requested that the entrances be guarded by police and that the premises be constantly disinfected.

Tirana, protest to the authorities Former owners seek compensation or the return of their land TIRANE — The Artificial Lake has also become part of the labyrinth of debates over privatization. It is the owners of the plots near and around the Artificial Lake in Tirana who have sent a protest to the authorities through a public letter in which they demand compensation or the full return of their properties. The citizens involved in this initiative oppose the previous decisions and say they were not informed about the real boundaries of the properties. In their document they state that the government must find a solution that respects property rights. They ask either for the return of the land where this is possible, or for financial compensation. According to them, part of the land around the lake has been used for construction and other activities without taking into account the claims of the former owners. The property issue remains one of the sharpest problems of the transition, and the protesters say they will continue their efforts through legal channels.

Demirel’s message to Berisha TIRANE — "Turkey, as a country deeply interested in peace and stability, fully supports Albania’s efforts to consolidate its independence and stability in the region," reads, among other things, a friendly message that the Albanian President Berisha has received from his Turkish counterpart Demirel. On this occasion, the President of Turkey expressed his full approval and support for Albania’s moderate positions and determination to overcome difficulties in Albanian-Greek talks through dialogue. President of Turkey, Demirel

DRAFT LAW ON THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE APPROVED — During the meeting of the Council of Ministers, the draft law on the Code of Criminal Procedure was approved — drafted with foreign and local specialists in line with special consultations with the Italian Criminal Code and the German one — and is expected to be submitted to the People’s Assembly in the near future. It provides for greater guarantees of human rights and legal rules, with the aim of protecting personal freedoms, the rights of the victim, the accused and the legitimate interests of society. BERAT ALSO GETS A TELEPHONE PREFIX — Berat now also has a telephone prefix, and to connect to it you just need to dial 0823 and then the requested number. Thus, alongside the cities of Tiranë, Durrës, Kavajë, Korçë, Gjirokastër, Shkodër, Elbasan and, a little further away, Vlorë, Berat too is now able to communicate directly not only with these cities but also with international lines.

CURSIVE REALITY SARANDE — The anti-clandestine-immigration “Sweep” also turned away another Greek citizen yesterday. Vasilis Janis from Florina had appeared at the Kapshticë customs point to enter Albania, but after police checks he was sent back. Official sources said he had been declared an undesirable person because of previous activities in the border area. The case has sparked reactions in local opinion, while the Albanian authorities insist that the measures are part of border control. This is the latest case linked to the operation called “The Sweep.” Kakavijë border

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