A surge in the number of new Covid-19 cases was reported in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, with 17 new cases having been confirmed, including as many as 14 in the central town of Tesanj, the country's entity health ministries reported.

Tests conducted at the Sarajevo Hospital have confirmed 14 new cases of infection in Tesanj, a town in the Federation entity where so far there have been fewer than 20 infected persons.

This is a significant increase in the number of new cases in the Federation entity, where in previous weeks new cases were expressed in single-digit numbers.

Three more cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Serb entity of Republika Srpska, where in previous weeks the epidemiological situation was much worse than in the Federation, with new cases expressed in double-digit numbers.

The main hotspot in the country has been Banja Luka, where close to 600 cases have been confirmed, while Maglaj is second, with 145 infections.

In the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2,465 people have contracted the disease since the outbreak of the coronavirus infection in March, and 146 have died.

A total of 1,624 people have recovered.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has eased almost all of the previously introduced restrictions, and as of Thursday, shopping malls will be allowed to reopen.

However, Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the few countries in the region that still have not opened their borders to foreign nationals. Entry by foreign nationals is still allowed only for business purposes and with invitation letters from local companies.

It was announced earlier that a more liberal border regime could be introduced as of June 1, a matter the government is expected to discuss at a session on Thursday.