SARAJEVO (Reuters) – Bosnia’s new COVID-19 infections hit a record high for the third day in a row with 621 cases on Friday, and authorities warned that the healthcare system could collapse if the trend continued.
The country of around 3.3 million people has so far recorded 32,845 cases of the coronavirus with 980 deaths. Currently there are 7,262 active cases, or 1,512 more than a week ago.
A significant rise has been recorded in the capital Sarajevo with 248 new cases in the past two days. The head of the Sarajevo University Clinical Centre (KCUS), where the main regional COVID centre is based, warned about strains on the health system and medical staff.
“The situation becomes very serious… the number of infected people rises every day,” said KCUS Director Sebija Izetbegovic. “If the number of people infected with COVID-19 gets very high, it is certain that the health system may collapse.”
Health authorities across the Balkan country also warned their hospitals were close to reaching capacity.
(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
