The Public Health Institute in Bosnia's Republika Srpska region will ask competent authorities in that part of the country to introduce more restrictive measures to prevent further coronavirus spread, said Institute Director Branislav Zeljkovic, adding that those measures will have to consider both public health and functioning of the economy.

“It is very important to have the reciprocity when we speak about the implementation and control of those measures,” Zeljkovic told public broadcaster RTRS on Wednesday.

According to him, the number of those who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in some local communities has long ago exceeded 50 percent of the total of tests performed, “which clearly tells us we must think about more restrictive measures than those we have in force now, but we should not forget that we need at least four to five weeks to improve the epidemiological situation that we have now,”

Republika Srpska entity, part of Bosnia and Herzegovina which makes about half of the country's territory has recorded 422 new cases in the last 24 hours and ten deaths. The total number of Covid-19 patients confirmed in this region is 47,450.

Bosnia's other semi-autonomous region, the Federation (FBiH) entity, has reported the total of 96,902 coronavirus cases, with some of its ten sub-regions already introducing stricter anti-epidemic measures amidst the new surge.

Both regions manage their healthcare systems independently.