Montenegro says country is ‘free of coronavirus’

Montenegro has become the first European country eradicating the novel coronavirus, the health minister announced on Monday.

"In the days ahead, responsible behavior and shared health care will be our trump card to continue to be proud holders of the title of 'corona free' state that has shown that it knows how to face and fight a dangerous enemy that has conquered the entire planet," Kenan Hrapovic told the state TV.

He said the ministry and health care system will focus on monitoring developments and prepare to respond to indicators of COVID-19.

The Institute of Public Health of Montenegro on Sunday announced that 68 days after the the first COVID-19 case was recorded, Montenegro is currently free of coronavirus patients.

The institution said that its laboratories completed the analysis of 140 samples during the day, among which there were no new cases of infection.

"The day has come and we have no more cases and we can say that we are a country where nobody is infected with coronavirus," said Boban Mugosa, the director of the Institute of Public Health.

According to the officials, 324 people contracted the virus in Montenegro, and nine of them have died.