New Orders of the Sarajevo Canton Crisis Staff Regarding Coronavirus

SARAJevo, (Patria) - The Crisis Staff of the Ministry of Health of Sarajevo Canton, in order to further monitor the situation and take measures to prevent and early detection of the disease caused by the new coronavirus, which has been declared an infectious disease whose prevention and suppression is of interest to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at today's session adopted an Order that more precisely defines and mandates the actions of public entities and individuals in the current circumstances:

- Hospital institutions in Sarajevo Canton are ordered to prohibit visits to hospitals, as well as to social welfare institutions that accommodate children, youth, and the elderly in the Canton.

Also, health institutions are ordered to cancel classes for high school students and health-related university students. 

- Health institutions in the KS area are ordered to perform only necessary specialist-consultation examinations, as assessed by a specialist and a family medicine team. 

Elderly persons and chronically ill patients are recommended to reduce visits to health institutions, unless they require urgent medical care. It is recommended that they first contact the health institution – family medicine clinic by phone, if a person of this age needs a prescription or medical advice.

- All health institutions in Sarajevo Canton, public and private, are ordered not to refer patients with acute respiratory symptoms and febrile conditions directly to the Clinic for Infectious Diseases or the Clinic for Lung Diseases and TB of the KCUS and the General Hospital "Prim. dr. Abdulah Nakaš". 

- Persons who have acute respiratory symptoms and febrile conditions, and are not under medical supervision, have no travel history to endangered areas in the previous 14 days, nor contact with persons who have traveled to endangered areas, are required to call the on-call phone numbers of the competent Health Centers of Sarajevo Canton to receive advice and instructions for further action.

Self-initiated visits to the Emergency Medical Service or the emergency centers of the General Hospital "Prim. dr. Abdulah Nakaš" and KCUS is a violation of the Law on Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases of FBiH.

- Persons who have stayed in countries endangered by the new coronavirus infection in the last 14 days (especially China, Italy, South Korea, and Iran, as well as all other endangered areas), and have not undergone sanitary control at border crossings and have not been issued a decision on health supervision/self-isolation, are obliged to contact the competent epidemiological service of the KS Institute of Public Health by phone on the available phone numbers, in order to establish health supervision and maintain a register. Failure to implement this measure for the protection of the population from infectious diseases is subject to criminal liability.

- Hotels, hostels, and owners of private apartments for rent are ordered to diligently maintain the Book of Foreign Guests and register the arrivals of foreign guests – tourists from endangered areas (especially China, Italy, South Korea, and Iran, as well as all other endangered areas) who have stayed in these areas in the last 14 days, and to immediately contact the competent epidemiological service of the Institute of Public Health of Sarajevo Canton by phone on the available phone numbers, in order to place them under health supervision. Failure to implement this measure for the protection of the population from infectious diseases is subject to criminal liability. 
- Public and private health institutions are ordered, in case of suspicion of coronavirus infection, to follow the communication, examination, and transport algorithms of the Crisis Plan of Preparedness for the actions of competent institutions in the canton in order to take measures for the protection of the population from infectious diseases.

- Due to the change in the epidemiological situation in the world, the European region, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in accordance with the Order of the Crisis Staff of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Public Institution General Hospital "Prim. Dr. Abdulah Nakaš" is ordered to urgently reallocate bed capacities, according to available hospital bed capacities, to enable the care of a larger number of patients in hospital health institutions in the canton. 
- Health institutions in Sarajevo Canton are ordered to, in accordance with the development and change of the epidemiological situation in the world, the European region, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, prepare plans for making health personnel available for the needs of caring for a larger number of patients in health institutions in the Canton, in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases of FBiH.
- In accordance with the change in the epidemiological situation in the world, the European region, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the assessment of epidemiological risk, the holding of public gatherings in Sarajevo Canton where more than 250 participants gather is canceled, in accordance with the regulations on public gatherings.

In the coming period, the Crisis Staff will, according to the assessment of epidemiological risk, issue further instructions for holding public gatherings in accordance with the regulations on public gatherings. 

- All teachers and students in public or private primary and secondary schools who have symptoms of respiratory illness have been ordered not to come to school. The same applies to educators and children in kindergartens, public and private. Non-compliance is a violation of the Law on Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases of FBiH

- Hotels and catering facilities are ordered to continuously implement general measures for the prevention and control of infectious diseases established by the Law on Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases, namely: ensuring hygienically safe drinking water, ensuring the health safety of food products and sanitary-technical and hygienic conditions for their production and trade; removal of wastewater and other waste materials in a manner and under conditions that ensure protection from water and soil pollution, as well as keeping rodents and insects at a biologically acceptable minimum; maintenance of sanitary-technical and hygienic conditions; carrying out mandatory (preventive) disinfection in: facilities for the production and trade of food products and articles of general use, as well as raw materials for their production or transport vehicles intended for their transport; facilities or premises for the removal of wastewater and other waste materials, as well as premises of hotels and catering facilities.

In addition to implementing the above measures, we emphasize that the Mandatory Immunization Program is not suspended.