The COVID-19 pandemic in Kosovo was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus' arrival was confirmed on 13 March 2020, with the first case being an Italian woman in her 20s who was working in the Caritas Kosova at Klina.
As of 14 January 2023, 1,836,901 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Kosovo.
Background On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019.
Unlike SARS of 2003, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.
Timeline
13–20 March 2020 On 13 March, the first two cases were confirmed, a 77-year-old man from Vitina and an Italian woman in her early 20s, who worked in Klina with Caritas Kosova. The Government of Kosovo decided to quarantine and block the entrances and exits of these two cities.
On 14 March, the third case was confirmed, a family member of the 77-year-old from Vitina tested positive for coronavirus. On the same day, two other new cases were confirmed, a 42-year-old man from Vitia and a 37-year-old woman from Malisheva. After the first case emerged in Malisheva, the Prime Minister Albin Kurti decided to quarantine the municipality.
On 15 March, four new cases of coronavirus are confirmed, three from Malisheva and one from the village Dumnica of Podujevë. After the new cases emerged, the Ministry of Health requested that the Government of Kosovo declare a state of public health emergency.
On 16 March, four close family members of the 77-year-old patient from Vitina had been tested positive for coronavirus. Two additional cases of coronavirus were confirmed that day, a couple who flew from London to Pristina; a male and a female, both 26-years-old from Prizren and Obilić respectively.
On 17 March, a new case was confirmed. A 39-year-old woman from Kosovo's capital, Pristina, who had come from London to Pristina one day prior was tested positive for coronavirus. Another three new cases of coronavirus were confirmed that same day, when a family member of an infected person from village Dumnica of Podujevë and a man together with his wife who flew from Düsseldorf were tested positive for coronavirus.
On 18 March, a new case was confirmed. A 55-year-old woman from Podujevë tested positive for coronavirus. The evening of that day marked the first coronavirus case free evening since 13 March.
On the night of 19 March, a new case was confirmed. A 46-year-old man from the village Janjevo of Lipljan, who had previously flown from Berlin to Pristina eight days prior tested positive for coronavirus.
20–31 March 2020 On 20 March, a new case was confirmed. A 67-year-old man from the village Llashkadrenoc of Malisheva tested positive for coronavirus. Two additional cases of coronavirus were confirmed on the night of that date. A 53-year-old woman from Suva Reka and a 43-year-old man from Gjakova tested positive for coronavirus, both contacts of previously confirmed cases and the number of positive cases rose to 24.
On 21 March, four new cases of coronavirus were confirmed. A 32-year-old man from the village Bibaj of Ferizaj, who had come from Germany tested positive for coronavirus, while three other cases are contact cases; three women aged 29 and 50 from Pristina and one aged 40 from Gjakova. Another two new cases of coronavirus were confirmed on the night of same day, a 20-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman from Gjilan had been tested positive for coronavirus.
In the early hours of 22 March, a new case was confirmed. A 31-year-old man from the village Senik of Malisheva tested positive for coronavirus. On the same day the first death from coronavirus was confirmed. An 82-year-old man from village Dumnica of Podujevë is the first death from the pandemic, he had contracted the virus through contact with his son and daughter. Prior to the infection, he had had cardiac and chronic lung disease and on the sixth day of the infection he had signs of pulmonary infiltration and massive pneumonia on the left side. Another two new cases of coronavirus were confirmed that same day, a 50-year-old woman from the village Vrapçiç of Gjilan and a 53-year-old man from the village Domanek of Malisheva tested positive for coronavirus.
On 23 March, two new cases of coronavirus were confirmed, a 44-year-old man from village Petrovo of Shtime, marking the first case for this municipality and a 39-year-old woman from Kosovo's capital, Pristina was tested positive with coronavirus. Meanwhile, in the evening unfortunately even 26 cases were confirmed, 14 cases from Malisheva, 11 close members of the same family from village Vrapčič of Gjilan, 10 members of the same family got infected from another member who flew from Germany and one case from municipality of Gjakova and the number of positive cases rose to 61.
On 24 March, the decision taken one day before from Government of Kosovo for stopping the movement of people and vehicles for the following days came into force, the decision provides stopping the movement, except emergency cases from 10:00–16:00 and 20:00–06:00. While in the evening, two new cases of coronavirus were confirmed, a 25-year-old woman from the village Vrapčič of Gjilan and a 73-year-old woman from village Studime e Ulët of Vushtrri, who had come days before from Norway, marking the first case for this municipality was tested positive with coronavirus.
On 25 March, eight new cases of coronavirus were confirmed, four cases were confirmed from the village Domanek of Malisheva, three cases from Kosovo's capital, Pristina and one case from village Studime e Ulët of Vushtrri. All cases was as a result of contact with people that tested positive days before on these villages and municipalities and the number of infected people rose to 71.
On 26 March is marked the first recovery case, the son of the first death of coronavirus resulted negative in the second test. A few minutes later, four cases were confirmed from the village Studime e Ulët of Vushtrri, three cases from Kosovo's capital, Pristina and one case from village Llugaxhi of Peja was tested positive with coronavirus, but the night of same day comes to an end with seven new cases from Malisheva was tested positive with coronavirus and the number of infected people rose to 86.
On 27 March, two new cases of coronavirus are confirmed in the evening, one from Gjakova and the other from Kosovo's capital, Pristina and the number of positive cases rose to 88.
On 28 March, two new cases of coronavirus are confirmed, one from Podujevë and the other from Kosovo's capital, Pristina. Another one new case of coronavirus were confirmed that same day again in Pristina, and all cases was contact cases.
On 29 March, two new cases of coronavirus are confirmed, two from Kosovo's capital, Pristina and one from the village Kijevo of Malisheva and the number of positive cases rose to 94.
On 30 March, 12 new cases of coronavirus are confirmed, five from Malisheva, three from Kosovo Polje, two from Kosovo's capital, Pristina, one from Mitrovica (later confirmed as case from North Mitrovica) and one from Kamenica and the number of positive cases rose to 106.
On 31 March, two new cases of coronavirus are confirmed, one as a case of contact of two positive relatives with coronavirus from Gjakova and one from Prizren, who was infected during a visit abroad. On that day confirmed that five cases with coronavirus have been cured and four other cases have been infected, infected are two from North Mitrovica, one from Vushtrri and one from Malisheva.
1–15 April 2020 On 1 April, four cases with coronavirus have been cured and 13 other cases have been infected, infected are 11 from the village Topanicë of Kamenica, one from Kosovo's capital, Pristina and one from Gjakova.
On 2 April, a new case was confirmed. A woman from the village Koriša of Prizren tested positive for coronavirus. The Ministry of Health decided to quarantine and block the entrances in the village.
On 3 April, six cases with coronavirus have been cured, and six other cases have been infected, infected are four case from village Llugaxhi of Peja, one from Peja and one quarantined in the quarantine created in the Student Center in Pristina.
On 4 April, two new cases of coronavirus are confirmed in North Mitrovica. On that day confirmed that seven cases with coronavirus have been cured and five other cases have been infected, infected are two from village Banja of Malisheva, one from Kosovo's capital, Pristina, one from village Smrekonicë of Vushtrri and one quarantined in the quarantine created in the Student Center in Pristina.
On 5 April, five new cases of coronavirus are confirmed, three from village Banja of Malisheva, one from Gjakova and one from village Smrekonicë of Vushtrri and all cases was contact cases, increasing the number of positive issues to 145.
On 6 April, two new deaths from coronavirus are confirmed, one from Kosovo's capital, Pristina and one from village Koriša of Prizren. On the same day, 20 other new cases of coronavirus were confirmed, 15 from village Banja of Malisheva, two from Malisheva, one from Bllacë of Suva Reka, one from Glogovac and one from Kosovo's capital, Pristina.
On 7 April, five new cases are confirmed, five correctional officers and a health worker at the Detention Center in North Mitrovica were tested positive for coronavirus. A few minutes later, a 65-year-old man from Ferizaj died of cardiac arrest, but also was tested positive with coronavirus. Another three new cases of coronavirus were confirmed that same day, one in critical condition from Ferizaj, one from Malisheva, one from Kosovo's capital, Pristina, one from Gjilan and one laboratory technician from Gjakova. A few hours later, six cases with coronavirus have been cured and 19 other cases have been infected, infected are eight from village Smrekonicë of Vushtrri, four from Malisheva, three from Kosovo's capital, Pristina, one from Gjakova, one from Gjilan, one from village Sazli of Ferizaj and one from village Ujmirë of Klina.
On the night of 8 April, National Institute of Public Health announced that during this date are confirmed 14 new cases, four from village Smrekonicë of Vushtrri, two from village Banja of Malisheva, two from Kosovo's capital, Pristina, two from North Mitrovica and with one case in village Bllacë of Suva Reka, village Gjurgjevik of Klina, village Krojmir of Lipljan and Zvečan, seven cured cases and one deaths cases from village Banja of Malisheva.
On 9 April, one case with coronavirus from Vrapçiç of Gjilan have been dead. On that day confirmed that one case have been cured and three contact cases have been infected, infected are one from Suva Reka, one from village Hajvalia of Pristina and one from village Lešak of Leposavić.
On 10 April, 23 new cases were confirmed bringing the total to 250. 14 new recoveries were confirmed bringing the total to 52..
On 11 April, 33 new positive cases were confirmed bringing the total to 283. Six new recoveries were confirmed bringing the total to 58..
On 12 April, 79 new positive cases were confirmed bringing the total to 362. One new recovery was confirmed bringing the total to 59..
On 13 April, one new death was confirmed, bringing the total to 8.. 15 new positive cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 377. Four recoveries were confirmed bringing the total to 63..
On 14 April, three cases with coronavirus have been cured and 10 other cases have been infected..