Hoti: The measures we have designed have enabled economic activity to survive.

In his speech, incumbent Prime Minister Hoti thanked all for the extraordinary work they have done during the pandemic and all those who have contributed in any form to this pandemic, until he has expressed condolences to all families who have lost their best loved ones as a result of COVID-19.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Hoti said he believes the measures that have been designed together in this Committee have enabled functioning and not the complete closure of the economy, keeping economic activity alive so that families and businesses can overcome this situation.

Full word of incumbent Prime Minister Hoti:

Nice to meet you in this compound. It was a year from the start of this pandemic. I want to thank you again and express respect for all those officials, employees, health staff, police, inspectors, different officials at different levels, for the extraordinary work in managing this pandemic, and all those who have been involved in any form in this pandemic.

I also want to express condolences on behalf of the government for the families who have lost their members in this pandemic and those who have been affected wish you quick recovery.

I believe it has been a vital experience for all of us to face this pandemic that happens once every 100 years. We've spent a really remarkable year and I'm happy to say that we've done it a lot, despite having limited resources in this regard.

I want to thank the health staff for the extraordinary mobilization they've done during this period, over and over again, 24 hours, without a day off facing the risk of infecting them every day.

The clinics, regional hospitals, have been organized to operate pandemic management, at the same time trying not to get caught up in offering other health services. You as a committee have done an extraordinary job in that necessary institutional coordination that has had to happen all the time. I know you've faced difficulties in implementing the measures, and not always you yourself as hosters of institutions have probably had the resources needed for the full implementation of those measures, but you haven't stopped, in fact, neither of us have been spared. I know when the minister himself has done the job of the inspector, the ministry official, callers and the co-ordination of the activities of any job needs. I have seen him carrying oxygen bags from one institution to another, or Public Health Institute Director, becoming callers by contacting patients with local headquarters 24 hours without hesitation.

It's a fact that in the first few months we've all been scared with this situation because there have been many unknowns not only to us but around the globe, and naturally following the experiences of other countries, at first the measures have been much more relevant, but we've later come together on this committee together with local and international expertise to standardise these measures and as you know we've gone to classification of municipalities in the past year, an approach to management of the pandemic that is then spread to other countries.

We've increased the testing capacity and today I'm happy to say that over 3 thousand people are tested daily, and virtually no one who needs to be tested remains untested despite the enormous cost of this for institutions.

Our hospitals have been reorganized, oxygen supplies have been established and the oxygen supply has virtually been completed by standard.

We've received a lot of criticism from our oponents during this period, especially for the reorganizing of the Hospital Service and the oxygen supply, from people who have never contributed to society, except for the criticism.

The measures we have designed together in this Committee I believe have enabled the functioning of the economy, not the complete closure of the economy, keeping economic activity alive so that families and businesses can overcome this situation.

I thank the Committee, the Institute and all the people involved in designing measures in that pandemic manual that has enabled us to develop cultural, sports, education and other social activities in general.

Of course aware that we haven't always been able to apply exactly the protocols that were envisioned in the defense manual from COVIED, but I believe we've set standards that have then been widely replicated.

I want to thank the Ministry of Education for the work he has done at all levels in teaching organization, not missing classes, even though teachers are actually facing the highest rate of post-refundance infection, they have not stopped. I'm believing we're going to the second half-year and we're preparing for a successful conclusion of this school year, in conditions that are very specific.

Of course, the pandemic has caused us social and economic problems widely. One time in 100 years, there is such a crisis, and aware that we have not been able to stand up to all those who have needed to rely on this difficult time, but I find the case once again before this committee and in front of all citizens of the Republic of Kosovo to thank the finance minister for a tremendous job in mobilizing 700 million euros in support of businesses, economics, cultural, sports activities, but in particular to finance all the needs presented at our health institutions.

I say with the greatest satisfaction that no activity to confront the pandemic has been postponed or canceled for lack of budget, while the criteria under the Public Finance Management Law have been maintained, also designing new programmes with the International Monetary Fund.  

Hundreds of thousands of citizens and businesses have felt the state's hand during this period, and practically we are now standing much better than in the first few months of 2020 and gradually returning to the normal functioning of the economy.

Now, we're in the final phase of this pandemic on the basis of international organisations' assessments regarding this pandemic. For several weeks we expect the achievement of vaccines and we will begin mass inoculation based on the communication strategy that has already been prepared, all preparations have been made in this direction.

The information I received yesterday from the Ministry and the director of the Institute is very encouraging, even for technical preparations to enable us to identify people through the electronic platform by setting the time and date when they will be vaccinated and complete this process.

Let me say once again, even for the vaccine we have been criticized, but we have made all preparations to bring the vaccine according to EU standards. We haven't entered the games to bring in vaccines from birth countries, which vaccines are not certified by European Union countries.

Those who release disinformations that are unnecessarily critical do not tell the truth of where several hundred have come from neither let me say thousands of vaccines in countries of questionable origin.

We expect not to say for a few days, but weeks to reach vaccines and start vaccinating according to all protocols in the Republic of Kosovo and protocols of European Union organisations.

I am sure that we will succeed, as we have done, and we will return to normality even with the help of our partners who wish to thank you for an extraordinary job throughout this period, have helped us on a weekly basis by consulting us, instructing us, advising us, and helping us massively and financially, even with various health tools over this period, starting from Japan, the countries of the European Union, the United States, and other countries.

What I ask of you as members of the Committee is to maintain the level of commitment, even the level of responsibility you have. I know it's been a year and so long as you're working 24 hours, but now we're in the last months of completing this pandemic and we have to keep the level of engagement properly.

I demand that the minister of health continue to co-ordinate the work of this committee and other institutions. On the basis of statistics we have in the last two weeks a huge increase, of the number of new cases, and it seems that 4-5 days a week has stabilised this increase in levels being reported by the Institute, all we have to do is keep our system mobilised with police, inspectors, who I believe have to work more in terms of education, citizens, businesses, in respect of measures, keeping our educational system mobilized so that we don't lose any hours of education, to successfully complete the school year, we make sure that the Public Health Institute has managed to keep up the effort to make it through mass testing, as well as well as possible by providing for local patients and other health services without even at the hospital's without even in charge of access to the hospital.

Thank you again for your commitment.