Montenegro's health authorities have banned outdoor New Year's Eve concerts and celebrations due to a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.

The ban is part of new epidemiological measures that will come into force on Monday. Wedding parties will also be banned, night clubs will be shut down, while restaurants and bars will be allowed to stay open until midnight.

“The epidemiological situation does allow for such gatherings. The situation may change, but I do not believe that it will change in such a short period of time to allow gatherings in squares,” Health Minister Jelena Borovinic-Bojovic told reporters when asked if the decision could be changed in December.

Borovinic-Bojovic said that the national digital COVID certificate is mandatory for entry into Montenegro, for entry into hospitality establishments, and for attending shows and sporting events. She added that the government is considering the possibility of making the COVID certificate mandatory for all public administration staff, including those working in healthcare, education, police and the military, as of 1 December.

“All the people who have died in Montenegro since 1 May, and who were below the age of 40, were not vaccinated,” the health minister said, appealing to citizens to observe the restrictions and get vaccinated to protect themselves from serious forms of the disease and fatal outcomes.

Montenegro has so far vaccinated about 55 per cent of its adult population. Since the start of the pandemic, the coronavirus has been confirmed in over 150,000 people, which is nearly a quarter of the country’s population, and nearly 2,200 people, or 0.3 per cent, have died.