Radončić: No one can feel comfortable, we expect a crisis in 15 days

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - BiH Minister of Security Fahrudin Radončić said after the meeting of the Coordination Body of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Protection and Rescue of People and Material Property from Natural and Other Disasters in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which he chairs, that a meeting will be organized with domestic pharmaceutical companies, with people with whom we can increase the production of protective masks, it will be necessary to amend some laws, to tighten entry and exit from BiH.

"We have a problem with an enemy that is invisible but deadly. There is no room for anyone to feel comfortable and think that it does not concern them. From March 9 to 16, 81,142 people entered BiH and 81,142 people left. Since we introduced measures, entry has dramatically decreased to 1,600 people. The measures of the crisis headquarters of the entities and cantons must be strengthened," Radončić said.

He said he would propose suspending passenger rail traffic, leaving it only for goods.

He said he supports the action of the HNK Prosecutor's Office regarding how the coronavirus entered the Mostar hospital, as well as the prosecution of the border police officer who allowed three people from Croatia into BiH although he was not supposed to do so and took money in the process.

"These are tragic mistakes that we will see in 15 days. Experts who attended today say that we will face the crisis in 15 days, I would not like to speculate on mortality figures. As the Coordination Body, we ask everyone to reduce their social interactions, and to conduct press conferences via video link. The goal is to save doctors," said the Minister of Security.

Radončić said that a proposal would be sent to convert the State Prison, which is practically ready, into a temporary isolation facility by a decision of the Council of Ministers, and to convert some barracks, such as Grebak, into isolation facilities.

Speaking about the activities of the BiH Armed Forces, the Minister of Security said that they were informed about the number of tents.

"It remains for the Ministry of Defense of BiH to get a decision from the Presidency and start setting up tents. We are still waiting for locations from the ministries of health to forward them to the Council of Ministers and then to the Presidency of BiH so that the BiH Armed Forces can start setting up tents," said Radončić, adding that it is a disease with high mortality.

Regarding migrants, we have already taken the measure to set up a substation in Blažuj, which is currently the biggest hotspot for the spread of the virus, said Radončić, adding that they are still moving freely in the city center today.

"Many of them have solutions, they have to be physically forced to stay there and forbidden to move. We will have to build tent settlements with barbed wire to be guarded by local police and to prevent them from moving anywhere. I expect Republika Srpska to abandon its rigid stance that migrants cannot be in the territory of Republika Srpska because the goal is to minimize the movement of migrants," he added.

Radončić said that the Federal Government reacted well in some matters, but that they realized the danger of the pandemic late.

He said that he would not shy away from adopting measures that even "irritate" citizens in order to protect them, and one of those measures is banning entry into BiH with an ID card.

"There are no illusions, the virus has entered BiH and we are only expecting to see how strong the wave will be," said the Minister of Security.