The U.K. strain of coronavirus was discovered in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), as it was said yesterday at the session of the Crisis Staff of the Federal Ministry of Health.
The head of the laboratory for molecular genetics and forensic research at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Sarajevo, Teufik Goletic, said that the U.K. variant of this virus was discovered during the sequencing of 23 samples.
“While sequencing the virus on 23 samples taken from July to February, unfortunately, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine discovered a new U.K. B117 strain of coronavirus on one sample. Fortunately, there is no mutation that causes a weaker effect of currently available vaccines “, said Goletic at the press conference.
Assistant Health Minister of Federation of BiH (FBiH), Goran Cerkez, said after the Crisis Staff session that two new measures had been adopted.
“We have decided to allow visits to nursing homes. That is important. We have taken care of them until now because we thought the situation was critical. We will make a plan of the visits and provide it to the people who stay there, which is important for their mental health and their families as well, ” said Cerkez.
He noted that the cantons can adopt restrictive measures, but they cannot be different from those in the rest of the FBiH.
At the session of the Crisis Staff, the return of the audience to the football stadiums was also discussed. “Everyone wants to return to the stadiums, but the risks are still great,” said Cerkez.
Cerkez warned of violations of measures which could lead to an increase in the number of infected, and as for vaccines, he said that the FBiH paid for the procurement through the COVAX system so the direct procurement began and that everyone is working to get vaccines as soon as possible for the sake of all the inhabitants of BiH, BHRT writes.
