Government of Serbia: Measures introduced during a state of emergency

Government of Serbia: Measures introduced during a state of emergency

Closing the borders of Serbia, except for Serbian citizens, is crucial, as is the closure of schools, kindergartens and colleges.

President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic, and President of the Serbian Parliament, Maja Gojkovic, on Sunday, March 15th, adopted, in accordance with the Constitution, a Decision on the State of Emergency. The decision came into force.

The measures prescribed by the government

As of Monday, March 16, the work of pre-school, school and higher education institutions will be completely suspended. As of now, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools and universities in the Republic of Serbia will not operate. Enrollment of children is done normally through e-Government:

1) eKindergarten available for the whole of Serbia,
2) eSchool enrollment will be active from April 1st
3) Test for small graduation will be done through new technology
4) Classes move to distance learning via RTS3, the RTS Planet platform, as well as online learning platforms

The borders of the Republic of Serbia are closed to all foreign nationals, with the exception of diplomats accredited in Serbia and foreigners with a residence permit. Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, as well as accredited diplomats and foreign nationals residing in the Republic of Serbia, who enter the Republic of Serbia, are obliged to be in self-isolation for at least 14 days, under criminal responsibility. This measure will be strictly controlled and its violation will be most severely sanctioned. Citizens will be provided with a legally binding solution upon entering the country. Imprisonment for violation of this provision is up to three years in prison. This is very important to reduce the movement of citizens, which is one of the main reasons for introducing a state of emergency in order to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

For citizens of the Republic of Serbia and foreign nationals residing in the Republic of Serbia who come from the Swiss Confederation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Romania, the Kingdom of Spain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Republic, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Greece isolation lasts for 28 days.

The introduction of a state of emergency does not mean that work in the economy, private and public sectors ceases. It is recommended that employers organize the work process so that everyone who can do it from home can stay at home. If it is not possible to work from home, the work process should be organized in such a way that all hygiene and technical measures to prevent the spread of infection (strictly limited number of people in the room, use of protective masks, etc.) are strictly observed. The Government calls on all employers in the Republic of Serbia to make all their employees work from home as much as possible. It is very important that we show solidarity at this point and therefore urge employers to behave responsibly and have the necessary understanding for their employees. This is especially true of citizens whose children cease going to kindergartens and schools. All other details will be specified in the supplementary acts to be adopted.

Citizens: self-isolation - no gathering, no visits, no leaving the house without urgent need. Exceptions: when going to shops and pharmacies, for walking pets, throwing trash. Recommendation for persons over 70 years of age not to go out at all, and for them, all the necessary activities should be performed by younger family members.

Public traffic: Cancellation of night traffic and reduction of daily public transport.

Inspections: Limit prices for essential food and safety equipment. Strict penalties for raising prices in times of emergency. It is possible to raise prices only within the limits of the annual inflation rate.

Once again, we appeal to our oldest fellow citizens to strictly take care not to leave the house and to follow all instructions for the sake of preserving their own health and that of their loved ones. The Government of the Republic of Serbia is fully committed to combating the spread of the COVID-19 virus, monitoring minute by minute developments in the country, region and world, and will keep you informed on a timely basis and take all necessary decisions to preserve your health.