20.07.2021 – 08:59
Following the protests of tourism businesses for allowing music, the government has decided to postpone the time band until 23:00. It was a post on social networks by Prime Minister Edi Rama that communicated the decision, which was later only lectured by the Technical Committee of Experts.
Without the slightest hesitation and no additional argument, openly proving who made the decisions all this time over the pandemic. “The Committee of Experts, based on the data of the epidemiological investigation of infected cases, based on the continuity of the vaccination process, as well as mass vaccination as one of the main elements of protection against infection, proposes the extension of the allowed schedule of music from 22:00 that we had, at 23:00. While other measures continue to remain in force, as they were before and that entered into force on July 1, 2021 “, declared the mayor, Mira Rakacolli. That was enough for the tour operators in Vlora to cancel the mass protest they had organized on Monday evening and onwards.
“SMALL VICTORY”
For days they have been “praying” for the postponement of the curfew and the permission of music, both the owners of the beach restaurants and those in the capital, until last night when the protests escalated into violence. Which forced the prime minister to step down, allowing 60 minutes more for what he calls acoustic noise. “Lungo mare has no music, but terrible acoustic pollution where the source lines mix immediately. The right of those who want musical noise all night can not win over the right of those who want the noise of the sea at night “, writes Rama in his reaction to the protest in lungo mare before communicating the decision, according to him early. “As it has been announced, from July 20, the music will stop at 23:00 in every inhabited tourist area and whoever will dance and sing all night if he wants, let it be organized in nature, in places where no one bothers, as in the whole civilized tourist world ”.
Although the austerity measures have a 2-week effect, none of them, whether coercive or stagnant, have been communicated for days. The last time the Committee of Experts met was on May 27 with a gradual easing plan. From July 1, the curfew was extended, but not allowing music, as well as allowing a series of sports and cultural events, with reduced capacity. The ‘Delta’ mutation, whose signals are also present in our country, have complicated the situation.
Under pressure from businesses that are at the height of the tourist season, the government allowed the Committee to seal the one-hour extension of music in coastal areas. This ‘small victory’ made tourism businesses stop the protests. “We welcome the decision of the Prime Minister to extend the schedule. This had to be done to avoid bankruptcy of the subjects. It has been a very difficult year, both for us and the government, which at no time has supported the business “, declared the head of tour operators in Vlora, Vasil Bedinaj. The measures are still in force, curfew for citizens and businesses 24: 00-06: 00, sports championships with the presence of fans with reduced capacities up to 30% according to the IPH protocol, as well as theaters, artistic and cultural performances, as well as conferences.
