File photo of Aleksandar Vučić by Fotosr52/Shutterstock.com

Vučić revealed that measures within the state of emergency will include closure of schools and kindergartens, while hospitals will be secured by the army.

He said that the country wishes to protect those older than 65, who are most vulnerable to the COVID-19, and called on them to stay at home.

The president also announced controlled measures of isolation, saying people who don’t respect the measures could face up to three years jail term.

According to Vučić, Serbia has so far purchased five million masks from China, and is looking for other medical aid, such as respiratory ventilators, to prepare for the imminent rise in the number of serious cases.

Currently, only two patients out of 48 infected in Serbia are on ventilators, according to the president, Tanjug said.