New Orders: Procured Respirators Distributed, No Public Transport Before May 15

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - With the aim of preventing the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), the 18th emergency expanded session of the Federal Civil Protection Headquarters (FCPH) was held today (April 29) in Sarajevo, chaired by Commander Jelka Milićević. The session was also attended by doc. dr. Sanjin Musa, a member of the Crisis Headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Health and head of the Epidemiology Service of the Institute for Public Health of the FBiH, and, via video link from the hospital, Fahrudin Solak, Chief of the FCPH.

A new order, applicable for May 1, 2 and 3, prohibits gatherings of more than five people in one place. During these first three days of May, movement is prohibited from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in the territory of the Federation of BiH. The prohibition does not apply to persons who have the constitutional right and obligation to perform certain duties in the legislative or executive branch, who are employed and professionally engaged in judicial and other bodies (judges, prosecutors, notaries, lawyers), in entities whose work is not prohibited by orders of the FCPH, persons in urgent need of medical assistance or in case of need to provide care for children or the elderly, and persons with special needs.

The order of April 24 prohibiting movement for persons over 65 and under 18, except on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, or Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in certain time slots, has been amended by an order applicable until May 15, allowing these persons to move daily by car.

The amended order, with a validity period until May 15, deletes point 2, which still allowed the operation of agricultural equipment stores, nurseries and florists.

Based on the recommendation of the Crisis Headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Health, the suspension of all activities in shopping centers in the territory of the FBiH is ordered, excluding stores selling food and hygiene products, pharmacies and wholesale drugstores. The operation of wholesale and retail stores trading in all types of products, service activities, small crafts within the meaning of the Law on Crafts and Related Activities, outside shopping centers is permitted. These stores, which are allowed to operate, are obliged to provide personal protective equipment (masks and gloves) and, if possible, the necessary social distance of at least 2 meters between persons, while respecting other hygienic-epidemiological measures, and to provide means for hand and footwear disinfection at the entrance to the facility. Owners of these stores are ordered to carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection of the premises before starting daily work, using a disinfectant that acts on viruses according to the manufacturer's instructions.

The Federal Ministry of Health is ordered, in cooperation with the Institute for Public Health of the FBiH, to prescribe recommendations for the prevention of infections during work in stores and crafts that are allowed to operate by this order. This order applies from May 1 to May 15 of this year.

The FCPH is ordered to deliver 80 invasive ventilators, procured by the Government of the FBiH, to clinical centers and cantons in the territory of the FBiH, specifically: 10 each to the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo, the University Clinical Hospital Mostar and the University Clinical Center Tuzla, 12 to the Una-Sana Canton, eight to the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, six to the Tuzla Canton, five each to the Zenica-Doboj Canton, the Central Bosnia Canton and the Sarajevo Canton, three each to the West Herzegovina Canton and Canton 10, two to the Posavina Canton, and one ventilator to the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde.

Under the new order, the FCPH is to distribute tests for the coronavirus (Covid-19), specifically: 2,000 each to the University Clinical Center Tuzla and the University Clinical Hospital Mostar, 3,400 to the Cantonal Hospital Zenica, and 1,000 tests to the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo. The FCPH is ordered to make available protective equipment and supplies (4,400 gloves, 2,400 protective masks, 1,568 pieces of disinfectant, packaging of 750 ml and 50 pieces, packaging of 470 ml) to federal ministries, administrations, administrative organizations and social institutions in the territory of the Federation of BiH (FBiH). Protective equipment and supplies under this order will be delivered to the Federal Ministry of Justice (for Penal Correctional Institutions), the Federal Attorney's Office, the Federal Institute for Geology, the Federal Police Administration, the kitchens of "Caritas" in Sarajevo and Zenica, the Association of Altruists "Hands of Friendship" Lukavac and Sarajevo, the Public Kitchen in Zenica, Public Kitchens in Visoko and Bugojno, the Public Kitchen "Bread of St. Anthony" Sarajevo, the Public Kitchen in Glamoč and Mostar, the Kitchen "Fenix" Sanski Most, the Public Kitchen "Dobrotvor" Sarajevo, the Kitchens of the Red Cross of Sarajevo Canton and the City of Mostar, the kitchens of "Merhamet" (in the FBiH), the Public Kitchen Stari Grad, the Kitchen "Emmaus" and the Red Cross of the FBiH (kitchens of other NGOs).

The FCPH is ordered to deliver 90 thousand transport media and the same number of swabs to all cantonal institutes for public health.

At today's 18th emergency session of the FCPH, the FCPH was ordered to make available 14 cameras for measuring body temperature to the Federal Administration for Inspection Affairs for installation at border crossings. The cameras are made available for use as long as there is a need for their use at border crossings.

The management of health institutions, regardless of the form of ownership, is ordered to organize the performance of health activities for which they are registered, including hospital and outpatient health activities (specialist-consultative health activities), in accordance with the epidemiological situation (Covid-19). The order also applies to private practitioners, except dental offices. By this order, patients, i.e., users of services in health institutions, must also adhere to the prescribed hygienic-epidemiological measures, maintaining the prescribed physical distance, and wearing protective masks.

For 26 orders with a validity period until April 30, the new orders extend that period until May 15 of this year. Orders that continue to apply include, among others, those concerning the prohibition of public gatherings, the operation of cinemas, museums, theaters, concert halls, art galleries, public swimming pools and bathing areas, sports centers, spa, fitness centers, all catering establishments for preparing and selling food and drinks, and shopping centers. Gatherings in public playgrounds, playrooms, parks and other public areas remain prohibited, and the suspension of work of open market, market spaces and areas around sales facilities is in effect, except for open market and market spaces with food items, with the exception of: food stores, hygiene product stores, fishmongers, butchers, pharmacies, specialized stores for medical and veterinary products and equipment, agricultural pharmacies, gas stations, kiosks, bakeries, dry cleaners, specialized stores for orthopedic and other aids, specialized stores for children's equipment, pet food stores, stores for construction, plumbing and electrical materials, logistics and distribution centers for food, beverages and hygiene products, wholesale drugstores, bookstores, auto parts stores, auto repair shops and car washes. The validity period is also extended for orders suspending public scheduled and unscheduled passenger transport in road and rail transport, except for registered taxi passenger transport.