Bosnia declares state of natural disaster to deal with virus

Bosnia-Herzegovina declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, approving a whole set of new measures and restrictions intended to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

All non-essential shops and businesses will be closed from Wednesday, as well as bars, restaurants and shopping malls.

Only food shops, pharmacies and petrol stations will remain open.

The government also approved sending armed forces to land border posts to build mobile tent quarantines for all incoming passengers from virus infected countries.

Shops in Republika Srpska already started closing down on Tuesday, as the decision was made public. Bars and restaurants in Pale also closed.

Pale bus station was closed as all domestic lines were shut.

The Bosnian government has said that the virus outbreak will have a devastating impact on the already weak economy of the Balkan country.