Not even a week after the Government's decision to stop funding free testing of tourists from September 1, the public does not know how much money was allocated from the budget for PCR analysis of guests, how many tests were done and were positive, and how much the treatment of foreign citizens cost.
The Ministry of Health responded to "Vijesta" that for the treatment of tourists infected with the coronavirus in public health institutions from May 1 to August 5, about 100.000 euros were allocated, for hospitalization and medical services in clinics. They did not specify how many tourists were treated in that period, in which health centers and hospitals. On September 6, "Vijesti" requested the same data for August, but Jelena Borovinić Bojović's department did not respond.
Even the Institute for Public Health (IJZ) did not answer the "News" questions about how many tourists were tested by municipality, how many were positive, from which countries, and how many were hospitalized. The questions were sent on the third and then on the 27th of August. The Ministry of Health previously replied that it is estimated that around 8.100 analyzes were performed in four months, but that they cannot say how much the costs are in the budget on that basis. They explained that the state bought more than 80.000 PCR tests, and received about 100 through donations, and used funds that were not paid for from the budget to analyze tourists' samples.
According to IJZ data, 11.876 citizens of Montenegro and 1.390 tourists were infected with the coronavirus in August. During the ten days of July, more precisely since July 22, since records have been kept, 150 foreign citizens with confirmed covid-19 infection were registered.
Data from the daily reports on the epidemiological situation of the IJZ indicate that the largest number of infected guests stayed in Budva. From July 22 to September 1, 439 tourists tested positive for the coronavirus in that municipality, 393 in Ulcinj, 194 in Bar, and 132 in Herceg Novi.
As a result of the coronavirus infection, according to the statistics of the Institute of Public Health, a tourist (30) who was staying in Bar died on July 57, and a foreign citizen from Bosnia and Herzegovina died on August 18, whose age was not disclosed.
Montenegro is the only country whose economy relies heavily on tourism, and which has decided to attract guests by providing free treatment in case of infection and PCR testing, if this is a condition for returning to the country of origin.
Although the Ministry of Economic Development told "News" that this decision caused positive reactions from the entire tourism industry and tourists, due to which Montenegro is recognized as a safe and responsible destination, some doctors claim otherwise.
Epidemiologists from health centers and IJZ, who insisted on anonymity, claim that the decision to completely open the borders was wrong, because many tourists already infected entered the country and moved freely. This, they claim, is the dominant reason why the number of infected people increased 28 times in two months, and the European Union removed us from the list of safe countries. IJZ data show that 96 deaths related to coronavirus infection were recorded during August, which is about seven times more than in July of this year.
Some test results are delayed
According to the data of the Institute of Public Health (IJZ), free testing of tourists staying in Podgorica, Tuzi, Danilovgrad and Cetinje is carried out in their laboratories, while health centers are responsible for other municipalities.
According to the instructions, it was only possible to test tourists who paid the tax in one of the hotels or registered private accommodation and who need a negative PCR test to return to the country where they live. This analysis had to be announced at least 72 hours before the trip.
The Ministries of Health and Economic Development, as well as the Government, did not explain the decision to cancel PCR testing of tourists from September 1.
Although tourists interviewed by "Vijesti" claimed that free PCR testing was arranged and carried out in the shortest possible time, there were also those who were dissatisfied with the treatment in Montenegro. The Husejnović family, who spent their vacation in Bar, had a negative experience, because the test result was not delivered to them at the agreed time. The married couple, citizens of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, were supposed to do a PCR test for their two children at the Bar Health Center on August 3 so that they could return home.
"On Tuesday, August 3, we did the test and on Wednesday we waited for the results of the analyzes for half a day, because we were told that it would be over after 15 p.m. We never received the test and, if we had not been lucky at the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who knows how long we would have waited, paid for accommodation and what kind of stress we would have survived. What kind of message is this to foreign tourists this year, who in large numbers have to take a PCR test, especially children who have not been vaccinated", Alosman Husejnović told "Vijesta".
Sick guests stayed at the hotel, some went home
The owners of all hotels and apartments are obliged to release ten percent of the available accommodation capacity in the event that a guest falls ill with the coronavirus, and this includes at least one room.
According to the IJZ protocol, if tourists or their contacts positive for the coronavirus are accommodated in the hotel, they can be accommodated in a specially separated part of the building, such as, for example, the top floor, where they remain in isolation or quarantine until they leave Montenegro. Guests with confirmed covid-19 disease, who stay in small hotels or registered accommodation, remain in self-isolation in their rooms, also under health and sanitary surveillance measures. Accommodation costs are borne by tourists.
In the "Regent Porto Montenegro" hotel, they claim that the adoption of measures related to the adjustment of conditions in catering establishments and hotels included too short deadlines for preparation.
"Nevertheless, we monitored and applied all the adopted measures against the coronavirus up-to-date throughout the duration of the pandemic, while every change had an impact on our business. We are currently communicating the changes in regulations related to travel to our partners abroad, such as agencies that sell luxury travel arrangements, tour operators, and representatives in third markets in order to provide timely information about travel to our country, conditions of entry and stay. , Elena Ljiljanić, senior PR and marketing manager at "Regent Porto Montenegro", told "Vijesta".
She assessed that the cooperation with the Tivat Health Center, the Emergency Service and the IJZ is exceptional and that almost 95 percent of the employees in that company have been vaccinated, and that the cooperation with the inspection services is correct.
She pointed out that they have sent two appeals to the Ministry of Health, that the measures are adopted strategically and in the long term and that the validity starts at least three days from the date of the IJZ press conference, because sometimes it is extremely challenging to comply with the order if it enters into force in a record time.
Ljiljanić confirmed that there were covid-positive tourists and that they were given medical assistance at the hotel.
"Due to internal policies related to the complete discretion of our guests, we can state that in the past little more than a year since we reopened our doors, we have had a low single-digit number of guests who became infected with the covid-19 virus. In accordance with all measures and recommendations, the measure of self-isolation was respected in the units designated for such accommodation. Delivery of food, drinks and other necessities is organized without any contact with guests in order to protect the health of employees. The organization of transport to the doctor was not necessary in the mentioned cases, but the help of the medical profession was organized in the hotel itself", she said.
Ljiljanićeva said that the hotel, in accordance with the recommendations, designated accommodation units for covid-positive patients and that they took care of their location, operational and technical parameters such as ventilation, in order to protect the health of other guests.
According to the protocol of the IJZ, tourists residing in Montenegro who become infected during vacation and have mild symptoms of the coronavirus or are asymptomatic patients, in agreement with the competent doctor, are sent to isolation at home, using their own transport.
Foreign tourists positive for the coronavirus had the opportunity to return to their home countries before the expiration of the decision on self-isolation, but without using public transport. As the Directorate for Inspection Affairs answered to "Vijesta", more tourists used that option and they returned by their own car or private flights.
Croatia, Cyprus and Greece, however, asked for confirmation
During June, July and August, the borders of Montenegro were completely open to tourists from the region, as well as the European Union, who did not have to have a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test.
In the same period, neighboring Croatia asked the countries of the region for a vaccination certificate, a doctor's certificate that the guest has recovered from the virus or a negative PCR test.
It was possible to go on vacation in Turkey with a certificate that you were revaccinated two weeks ago, as well as with a negative PCR test or a certificate of an infection that was not older than 180 days.
Greece required proof of revaccination, PCR positive test done in the last half year but not older than 30 days, negative PCR or rapid antigen test.
You can enter Egypt with a confirmation that at least 14 days have passed since the second dose of the vaccine or with a negative PCR test. Cyprus recognizes proof of vaccination against the coronavirus or a negative PCR test, while Albania could be entered without special conditions.
Malta has decided to attract tourists by offering all foreign guests up to 200 euros if they stay in the country for at least three days.
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