Skopje, 15 July 2022 (MIA) - The number of active COVID-19 cases nationwide has risen by 45 percent from Monday until Thursday. No fatalities were reported by the end of this week. The Commission for Infectious Diseases is due to convene Friday to discuss the epidemiological situation in the country. On Thursday, 494 new infections were reported, including 105 reinfections, after a total of 1,365 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours. During the same time period, 276 recoveries were reported and no deaths. Currently, a total of 2,309 cases are active most of which - almost 50 percent - are in the capital Skopje, 1,231. A mask mandate is still in place in public transportation, healthcare institutions, pharmacies, nursing homes and daycare centers for people with disabilities. Also, North Macedonia has rolled out a second booster, i.e. fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose, for people over 18 at every vaccination station in the country without previous appointments. mRNA vaccines by Pizer and Moderna are available. It is recommended that at least four months should have passed between the first and second booster shot. Since the onset of the epidemic, North Macedonia has performed a total of 2,094,710 tests, recording 317,634 COVID-19 cases and 305,988 recoveries. The death toll has reached 9,337. The number of new coronavirus cases has been climbing for a fifth week in a row worldwide, whereas the number of fatalities remains relatively stable, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. According to WHO, last week, 5,7 million cases were confirmed worldwide, up 6 percent. 9,800 people died, the same as the previous week. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the pandemic is still a global emergency situation.