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Coronavirus pandemic

Serbia reports record high 5,600 new cases of COVID-19

The total number of coronavirus infections surpassed 97,988

BELGRADE, November 18. /TASS/. Serbia recorded a record high number of COVID-19 single-day cases, as 5,613 cases were confirmed in the country over the past 24 hours, the country’s Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

The ministry said that the total number of coronavirus infections surpassed 97,988. According to the ministry, 27 patients died from the complications caused by COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, pushing the total death toll to 1,081. In the past 24 hours, 18,040 people were tested for novel coronavirus. As many as 182 patients are on ventilators in intensive care units.

A day before, the ministry reported about 4,994 new cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. A total of 1,555,000 tests were carried out since the coronavirus outbreak. According to health professionals, the clinical picture of the latest wave’s patients is far worse, due to a high percentage of pneumonia cases and severe complications.

In the wake of the resurgence in cases, the Serbian government banned operation of the entertainment facilities, shopping malls and stores from 21.00 until 05.00 for the next 15 days. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that the cabinet had been considering a curfew, but decided not to impose this extreme measure yet.

Earlier, Serbia banned gatherings of more than five people both indoors and outdoors, compared to 30-strong gatherings allowed previously.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.

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