Montenegrin health authorities tightened Covid-19 restrictions on Wednesday as daily infections have been averaging 500 for weeks, which means that almost 0.1 percent of the population is infected every day.

The new measures envisage a lockdown for Herceg Novi, the extension of lockdowns for Budva and Tivat, and the extension of a ban on the work of bars and restaurants, including the sale of coffee to go.

Luxembourg, San Marino, Slovakia and Bulgaria have been added to the list of countries whose citizens must produce a negative PCR test to enter Montenegro.

Chief epidemiologist Igor Galic said the situation was extremely complex and that Montenegro was among the countries with the highest number of daily infections in the world and that recently it made the top ten in terms of deaths per 100,000 population.

“Local transmission is high and the health system is overwhelmed. The number of deaths this week is worrying,” he said, adding that 75.8% of hospital capacities for Covid patients were full.

The British strain of coronavirus was registered in the country last week.

Currently there are 8,471 active cases, which is 1,345 per 100,000 population. Since the start of the epidemic, Montenegro has reported 73,612 cases of the new virus, which is 12% of its population.

Vaccination with Russia’s Sputnik V, which was donated by Serbia, began last Saturday.

Health Minister Jelena Borovinic-Bojovic said 5,000 more doses of Sputnik V would arrive tomorrow and a Chinese donation of 30,000 doses of its Sinopharm vaccine by the end of the month.