North Macedoniaʼs President Stevo Pendarovski at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium on June 12, 2019. Photo by Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock.com

There is no need to declare a new state of emergency as sufficient economic measures have been introduced for the forthcoming period and medical supplies have been stockpiled, Pendarovski told a news conference streamed on the YouTube channel of the president’s office.

The number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases has been on the rise since the government started easing restriction measures in late May. However, that did not affect the president’s decision regarding the state of emergency, he said.

Speaking at a press conference on June 11, Health Minister Venko Filipce stated that the recommendations of the Infection Diseases Committee remain the same and all citizens must respect them.

“A long battle with the virus is ahead of us and we must learn to live with it. Let’s respect the measures based on three principles: wearing masks, keeping distance and hygiene,” Filpce said.

The country confirmed 164 new coronavirus cases on Friday, and by Monday evening (June 15), the total count was 4,157 infections (more than Hungary) and 193 deaths, latest Johns Hopkins University data shows.