To decrease the risk of coronavirus spreading further, Republika Srpska imposed a total ban on movement between cities from Saturday noon until Sunday 6 pm.

The ban applies also to citizens who commute between cities for work for which they have to have a certificate from their employer.

Authorities have ordered all businesses and institutions as well as people who are providing direct services to citizens to wear masks and gloves.

The head of the Institute for Public Health in Republika Srpska, Branislav Zeljković, said that his institution is under heavy pressure but that they have rearranged staff in order for the Institute to work for 24 hours.

He told N1 that he believes the health system will win the battle against the virus and said that the curve is still rising but that it has been slowed down, which is what authorities aimed for.

“Our main duty is to handle public health and undertake measures to prevent the spreading of infectious and non-infectious diseases,” he said.

“Right now, colleagues are under great pressure but we are handling it and we are following the situation in other health institutions and keeping it under control.”

“Colleagues at the hygienic-epidemiological administration are also under great pressure because a lot of people need to be surveyed and taken samples from which we analyze,” Zeljkovic said.