WHO concerned about Bosnia coronavirus spike

Bosnia-Herzegovina's deputy health minister on Monday stressed that the country had coronavirus infections "under control", despite concerns about a recent spike of cases.

Confirmed cases of the virus have risen from a few dozen daily to several hundred a day, prompting calls for the country's government to boost testing capability and contact tracing.

Deputy Health Minister Goran Cerkez pointed to the country's reproductive number, which describes the average number of people who catch the virus from an infected person, which he said was at one.

However, Dr. Viktor Olsavszky, who heads the World Health Organization's office in the country, said the current infection rate should still be a concern in the European nation of 3.3 million people.

He urged officials to prepare the health system for a further rise in patients as residents and tourists move around during the summer season.

Cerkez also said that preparations to expand medical capacity were already underway.

At least 10,498 coronavirus cases have been recorded in Bosnia-Herzegovina with 294 deaths, according to government figures.