1,964 citizens tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday in North Macedonia, while 7 died after suffering complications caused by the virus.

According to data from the country’s health institute, new cases rose by 51% in part due to the highly contagious Omicron strain which accounts for 68% of the new cases reported.

In addition, authorities reported 946 reinfection cases based on samples analyzed from January 3 to 9.

The Ministry of Health urged citizens with mild symptoms to stay at home for at least 10 days.

The total case count in North Macedonia from the beginning of the pandemic is around 234,277, while the official death toll is 8,042.

For many health experts, the future looks grim in the upcoming months.

Dr. Zllate Mehmedovic sees vaccine mandates as the only viable solution.

“That would be an imposed solution and I would like to put a particular emphasis on the efficiency and safety of the vaccines, but this failed to occur from the beginning of the vaccination campaign in our country. That’s why many countries failed to convince their citizens on the vaccine safety and as a result, are now taking drastic measures to save as many lives as possible”, said Dr. Mehmetovic.

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Fadi Cana criticized the health system for not reacting in a timely manner to prevent the drastic rise in new cases.

“Considering these alarming figures and the presence of the virus in almost every city, any measures would prove worthless. North Macedonia has a high mortality rate due to bad management of the health system”, emphasized Cana.