Epidemiologist: Biggest Potential Risk Still in Belgrade

Predrag Kon

The epidemiologist Predrag Kon said on July 17 that Belgrade remained the area of greatest potential risk of spreading the COVID-19 epidemic, citing data from a few days ago that 26 percent of test samples from the Serbian capital processed in the Torlak Institute had been positive.

Kon also mentioned the epidemic figures of July 14 for Belgrade, namely that 761 people had gone to health care centers. These persons were deemed likely to have the virus, while Kon added that up to 900 similarly presenting patients were seen in the days before.

"We have the highest transmission of the virus in the 20 to 50 age range, and this stems from high-school graduation celebrations, and even high-school reunions, other parties and celebrations indoors with loud music and speaking at high volume. There was also all kinds of chanting, protests, which are the last item on the list, but similar things happened before, too," Kon said.

Commenting on the epidemiological situation in other Serbian cities, he said things were still grave in Sjenica and that Kraljevo was seeing a spike in infection numbers, while Novi Pazar was seeing a decline, as evidenced by the drop in hospitalizations to under 300, he said.

Discussing new prevention measures coming in force on July 17, Kon said mandatory mask wearing was "a replacement for lockdown, which we all want to avoid."