The Government of the Republic of North Macedonia at its 44th session held today, adopted several decisions, measures and recommendations arising from the 30th meeting of the Main Crisis Coordination Headquarters to ensure full coordination regarding the prevention of the importation and spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, which refer to Kumanovo, Tetovo and Prilep.
The Government assigned Adnan Dzaferoski, Director of the Protection and Rescue Directorate, and two other members of the Main Crisis Coordination Headquarters to be in communication with the Municipal Headquarters for Protection and Rescue in Kumanovo, due to the need for its consolidation and ongoing monitoring of the situation and work of all competent institutions on a daily basis in this area, in order to maintain functional and effective operation of the headquarters.
The today’s session produced the recommendation that all state administration bodies, public enterprises established by the state, state-owned joint stock companies, agencies, funds, bureaus, institutes, administrations and all other state institutions that have their main offices or regional units on the territory of Municipality of Kumanovo, as well as, the public enterprises and other legal entities established by the Municipality of Kumanovo, to reduce their capacities and to introduce special protective measures, in order to have more people isolated in this period.
The only exception to this measure are the employees of the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Defense - the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, the public health institutions, as well as the employees of the firefighting units on the territory of Municipality of Kumanovo.
Starting from 22 April 2020 (Wednesday), a measure is introduced to ban the movement of the persons in the municipalities of Kumanovo, Tetovo and Prilep, who do not wear appropriate protective equipment (a mask, scarf, shawl, etc.) outside their homes, in all public places and areas of open and closed type, as well as closed areas, markets, shops, and the like.
For this purpose, the Ministry of Health is assigned to prepare and submit at the next session of the Government a Decree with force of law, which will legally regulate this issue, the manner of implementation, its use, the necessary protective equipment, as well as to establish the minimum mandatory number (reserve) of masks, which manufacturers should have for the needs of state institutions. The decree stipulates that the obligation to wear protective equipment will be implemented on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia, but after a certain period.
The Government decided to recommend to all citizens in the Republic of North Macedonia, and especially to those living in the municipalities of Kumanovo, Prilep and Tetovo, in accordance with the decisions, measures and recommendations of the Government, to avoid going out of their homes, to go out only if it is absolutely necessary, i.e. to go to work, and only one member of the family to go for grocery shopping and to buy medicines from the pharmacies.
The Government assigned the Ministry of Health to designate one person as a point of contact and coordination on a daily basis with all health care institutions in the Municipality of Kumanovo (due to the needs of patients treated at the General Hospital Kumanovo, their transfer to another health care facility, organizational issues of health institutions and other current issues during this period).
The Ministry of Interior in cooperation with the Municipal Headquarters for Protection and Rescue, was assigned to prepare a special operational plan for the presence and activities of the police in the municipalities of Kumanovo, Prilep and Tetovo by April 21, 2020 at the latest. The police should increase patrols and in general police presence, it should use police car megaphones in public places and areas in order to control the compliance to the decisions, measures and recommendations adopted by the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia.
The Ministry of Health is assigned, part of the protective equipment donations that the Republic of North Macedonia has received so far, to allocate to the health care institutions in the municipalities of Kumanovo, Prilep and Tetovo.
The Government has reached a decision that as of Tuesday, organized transportation of passengers is prohibited, i.e. a ban on entry and exit in and from the territory of the Municipality of Tetovo and all surrounding municipalities.
Exceptions to this ban are organized transportation by economic operators for their employees to work, as well as organized transportation of employees of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense - Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, as well as employees of firefighting units in these municipalities.
In accordance with this, the Government adopted a Decision amending the Decision on prohibition and special regime of movement on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia.
The Ministry of Defense is assigned to appoint a person who will be in communication with the Municipal Headquarters for Protection and Rescue in Kumanovo on a daily basis, in order to maintain the functional and effective operation of this headquarters.
In order to ensure better implementation of the measures and reduce the need for new restrictions, at this session the Government assigned the Ministry of Justice to prepare and submit at the next session of the Government a decree with force of law that will legally regulate the manner and imposing of mandatory fines (supported by a photograph taken at the place where the citizen was found), as well as the amount of the fines, to all natural and legal persons who will not comply with the decisions, measures and recommendations of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia. The mandatory fines refer to gathering of more than two people in public spaces (gathering of more than 5 people shall be considered a crime and shall bear criminal responsibility) and for not obeying the minimum required distance of two meters and not wearing protective equipment.
The Government adopted a decision to amend the conclusion number 1 of item 1 of the Excerpt from the Draft-Minutes of the Thirty-ninth session of the Government of Republic of North Macedonia held on 16 April and it reads:
•    The Ministry of Finance is assigned, and it is recommended that the National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia, in joint cooperation, consider the possibility of finding ways and prepare a proposal - a decree with force of law, in order to assign commercial banks within a month to introduce new fintech applications that will significantly reduce interaction and bureaucratic procedures for citizens, as well as for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. 
•    The Ministry of Finance, in cooperation with the Ministry of Information Society and Administration, is assigned to write a specific proposal - measures that will allow banks to stimulate citizens to change their habits, that will sophisticate the processes and reconsider the manner documents are issued, as well as, simplifying the documentation in requests for crediting and payments (cheaper tokens, digital identification, etc.).
The Government assigned the Ministry of Finance and recommended to the National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia that these two institutions in joint cooperation regulate as mandatory the issue of connecting the terminals of economic operators with their fiscal cash registers by commercial banks. 
The Ministry of Finance is assigned to prepare and submit for the next session of the Government a decree with force of law, that will legally regulate the obligations of banks regarding the obligation that employees wear protective equipment and the manner of its implementation, number of persons allowed in the facilities at a time according to the square surface of the facility, maintaining order in and in front of the facility, etc.

The Ministry of Economy is assigned to prepare and submit for the next session of the Government a decree with force of law that will legally regulate the obligation that the employees of economic operators wear protective equipment (shops, markets, pharmacies, and the like) and the manner of its implementation, number of persons allowed in the facilities at a time according to the square surface of the facility, etc.
The Ministry of Finance is assigned in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy to prepare and submit to the Government an appropriate protocol for payment of pensions.
The Government assigned the Ministry of Information Society and Administration to prepare and submit at the next session of the Government a decree with force of law to legally regulate the obligation of all televisions and radio stations to provide broadcasting of informative messages (prepared by the Ministry of Health and the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia regarding COVID-19) for 2-3 minutes per hour in the radio and television programs.
At this session it was decided to recommend to all employees in the state administration bodies, public enterprises established by the state, joint stock companies in state ownership, agencies, funds, bureaus, offices, administrations and all other state institutions, as well as, to the local self-government units, public enterprises and other legal entities established by the local self-government units, as well as to the employees of the private sector to download (install) the mobile application Stop Corona!.
For this purpose, the Health Insurance Fund of the Republic of North Macedonia is assigned to assign all family doctors on the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia to recommend to their patients to download (install) the mobile application “Stop Corona!”
At the same time, the Public Relations Service of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia is assigned to make an intensive plan to inform the citizens through the media about this mobile application, in order to successfully implement and abide by the decisions, measures and recommendations of the Government.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Information Society and Administration is assigned to propose additional stimulus measures for the persons who will download (install) the mobile application Stop Corona!
The Ministry of Information Society and Administration should prepare and submit a protocol and analysis for the next session of the Government, which will regulate the system of shopping for food products and medicines by only one member of the family / household.
The Government assigned the Ministry of Health to prepare and submit at the next session of the Government a draft - decree with force of law that will legally regulate the issue regarding the introduction of mandatory self-isolation for all citizens who take tests for COVID-19, at least until the moment of receiving the result, according to the epidemiological interview.
Regarding these conclusions, decisions, recommendations and measures, the Government assigned the Public Relations Department of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia to start an intensified and unified media campaign for all decisions, measures and recommendations of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia regarding the coronavirus COVID-19.
At this session, the Government reviewed and adopted the Information on the payment of pensions for April 2020, and assigned the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund of North Macedonia to submit data on pensions to commercial banks by 23 April 2020 at the latest.
As a conclusion regarding the payment of April pensions, the Government decided to recommend to the commercial banks from Friday 24.04.2020 to provide the pensioners with the April pensions through the ATM network and the trade network.
As an additional conclusion, it is recommended to commercial banks through their branches to provide cash payment of pensions to customers who do not use cards, in four groups in the following schedule designed according to the amount of the pension:
•    On Monday, 27 April 2020, payment of pensions up to 11,000 denars;
•    On Tuesday, 28 April 2020, the payment of pensions in the amount from 11,001 to 14,000 denars;
•    On Wednesday, 29 April 2020, the payment of pensions in the amount from 14,001 to 18,000 denars;
•    On Thursday, 30 April 2020, payment of pensions in the amount of more than 18,000 denars.
At this session, the Government reviewed the information and adopted the Decision amending the Decision on the conditions and criteria for reimbursement of the funds from the compensation funds which determine the conditions for direct lending to business entities affected by the coronavirus, for the re-placement of funds from the compensation funds in order to provide funds in the amount of 492,000,000 denars for direct lending to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, whose economic activity has been affected by the coronavirus, through the Development Bank of North Macedonia.
In relation to this decision, the Government assigned the Development Bank of North Macedonia to announce a Public Call to which micro, small and medium-sized enterprises whose economic activity has been affected by the coronavirus can apply, in accordance with the conditions provided in the Decision, and to explore the possibilities for arranging the delivery of the documents from the Central Registry and the Public Revenue Office for the loan borrowers, in the direction of facilitating and / or coordination, joint communication and directing the loan borrowers.
At today’s session, the Government adopted the Decree with force of law for the establishment of a fund for assistance and support for dealing with the crisis caused by the coronavirus COVID-19.
This decree with force of law regulates the establishment, financing, as well as the purpose of the funds of the Fund for assistance and support for dealing with the crisis caused by the coronavirus COVID-19.
The funds raised by the Fund will be used to financially support economic measures to help and support micro, small, medium and large enterprises in overcoming the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus COVID-19.